What bonuses does constitution give other than gaining more hit points?

Black_Paladin · Post by **Black_Paladin** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:37 pm

Sure, I got the manual and I read it and I know what the description says and I also know how consitution effects the hit points gained for fighters for the first 9 levels.

My question is: Does a high constitution do anything for you in the game other than get you more hit points per level? Does it do anything on the hit rolls? Does it lower your saving throws? If so, what's the formula for it?

Up to now, I always had characters with high constitution for more hit points per level (up to level 9 anyway) but I find consitution raising items in the game useless such as the belt that increases your constitution to 18 for 8 hours. Why would I want to use that belt? What good is it?

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:07 am

well. one thing constitution does, is prolong the length in which you can go without sleeping. Other then that, Im not sure.

Black_Paladin · Post by **Black_Paladin** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:40 am

[QUOTE=FireLighter]well. one thing constitution does, is prolong the length in which you can go without sleeping. Other then that, Im not sure.[/QUOTE]

Heh, yes that's true. I knew that but I didn't mention it in my above post.

There has got to be something I am missing here otherwise nobody would bother using items that raise constitution. I mean a belt used only for making you go more without getting fatigued??? Sounds like a incredible amount of waste to me.

I am thinking about dropping consitution to the lowest possible if am not playing a fighter type character next time and see what happens.

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:01 am

oooo WHY do they use it eh? Thats simple... for NPC's who have low con, but are melee... like haer'dalis, hes got like 9 con, and I like him to be a tank, so I use the items.

Pepsimax_x5 · Post by **Pepsimax_x5** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:09 am

In IWD2 it lets u drink boars blood so u can summon wolves

but thats a different story...

Black_Paladin · Post by **Black_Paladin** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:10 am

[QUOTE=FireLighter]oooo WHY do they use it eh? Thats simple... for NPC's who have low con, but are melee... like haer'dalis, hes got like 9 con, and I like him to be a tank, so I use the items.[/QUOTE]

That's what I don't understand. So what if he has 9 constitution? What does he gain by having 18? What does that have anything to do with him being a tank??

What can he do with 18 constitution that he can't with 9?

lompo · Post by **lompo** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:30 am

[QUOTE=Black_Paladin]That's what I don't understand. So what if he has 9 constitution? What does he gain by having 18? What does that have anything to do with him being a tank??

What can he do with 18 constitution that he can't with 9?[/QUOTE]

He will gain extra hp (18 I think) that are helpful in a battle.

Brookster · Post by **Brookster** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:34 am

doesn't a higher constitution improve your survival rate when being resurrected? I also seem to remember that there a couple of instances where you have to check for system-shock, and a high con. helps in these instances too... but correct me if I'm wrong

Black_Paladin · Post by **Black_Paladin** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:04 am

[QUOTE=Brookster]doesn't a higher constitution improve your survival rate when being resurrected? I also seem to remember that there a couple of instances where you have to check for system-shock, and a high con. helps in these instances too... but correct me if I'm wrong[/QUOTE]

In AD&D, constitution might have an effect when being resurrected but there is no such effect in Baldur's Gate. In Baldur's Gate resurrection is always successful, no matter what.

I don't know what you mean by system shock though.

Brookster · Post by **Brookster** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:25 am

Yeah, you're right. I reckon system shock was an old AD&D thing too.

TRODTROD · Post by **TRODTROD** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:28 am

does BG2 use fortitude saving throws or is that 3D&D only?

TROD.

Morbent · Post by **Morbent** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:15 am

Hehe, funny how you guys have so many theories

In BG2, here's what constitution affects:

CON 15 : 1 more hp for each level untill 9
CON 16 : Same thing
CON 17 : Same thing, but only for fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Barbarian and their subclasses (which means other classes stop getting any bonuses after 16 excpet the one I'll write afterwards)
CON 18 : Same as 17
CON 19 : Same as 17
CON 21 : Same as 17
CON 24 : Same as 17

Now, that's it for HPs, but when you reach CON 20, you get a natural regeneration rate, which is somewhere around 1hp/round I think, and this improves with every more point you have in Constitution.

There are no bonuses to Saving Throws or anything else gained from Constitution, except affecting fatigue.

And for the belt, if you give it to a NPC that ha less than 15 CON, it will boost his HP by 2 or 4 (depending of his/her class) for every level they have.

Understood ?

iamweaver · Post by **iamweaver** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:33 am

The CON belt is great for raising Aerie's HPs by 18 to get her above most Symbol thresholds, for example, and to prevent her from dying from things like Skull Traps, Comet and ADHW. It's also somewhat useful to add an additional 18 HP to Minsc, who (for me) usually was taking the brunt of the damage, and until HLA only gets minor mitigation from his self buff and the 1 charge of mirror image a day from the Umar Hills sword. Since it lasts forever, I just added it to my mental list of "buffs after rest" that I always did.

araknid70 · Post by **araknid70** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:20 am

Strange question coming from BP; I thought BP was pretty familiar with the game. The explanations may be a little unclear, so here's a direct and obvious explanation:

The CON hitpoint gain only affects the first nine levels.

However, the CON bonus does NOT affect level-ups, it affects the character as a whole.

Therefore increasing CON will temporarily increase HP for a character (assuming the increase is temporary, like DuHM).

The HP increase depends on the CON bonus attained, which was listed in a previous post.

Therefore Haer'dalis, having 9 CON, has no CON HP bonus. Increasing HP to 18 gives him an additional 2 HP per level, to a max of nine levels (= 18 HP). This happens regardless of level or levelups.

Perhaps BP thought that the belt was useless because the CON bonus applied WHEN a character levelled up, and thus for a character above level 9 would be useless. If you check SK you'll find that SK lists a Base HP that does not include the HP gained from whatever CON the character has.

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:36 am

Well...

What's wrong with +18 HP? That's a fairly nice bonus for characters who are subject to damage. I mean it's not the Ring of Gaxx or anything, but still...

Skuld · Post by **Skuld** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:13 am

I think your little con chart is wrong Morbent:
14 - no bonus
15 - +1
16 - +2
17 - +3 to fighter types(fighter, paladin, ranger, barb), +2 to everyone else
18 - +4 to fighter types, +2 to everyone else
19 - +5 to fighter types , +2 to everyone else
20 - same as 19 but with regeneration
And that's straight outta the manual. I'm not sure where you got your numbers. I don't remember if the bonuses carry on after you stop gaining whole hit die. Anyway warriors gain +3hp per level thereafter, Wizards gain 1, rogues, priests and monks gain 2.

Morbent · Post by **Morbent** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:54 am

I got my numbers from the manual as well, page 156 to be precise

And no, you don't have the bonuses after lvl 9.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:43 am

The regeneration for a high constitution starts at 20 and improves as your constitution goes up. For instance, I remember having a dwarven fighter/cleric with a constitution of 25 and the ring of gaxx. He regenerated 9 hp/rd.

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 3:26 pm

The girdle of Fortitude was great for Viconia. She would use the girdle once and then replace it with belt of inertial barrier. With a good shield and Crom Fayr she was an awesome tank.

Black_Paladin · Post by **Black_Paladin** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 10:00 pm

[QUOTE=araknid70]Strange question coming from BP; I thought BP was pretty familiar with the game. The explanations may be a little unclear, so here's a direct and obvious explanation:

The CON hitpoint gain only affects the first nine levels.

However, the CON bonus does NOT affect level-ups, it affects the character as a whole.

Therefore increasing CON will temporarily increase HP for a character (assuming the increase is temporary, like DuHM).

The HP increase depends on the CON bonus attained, which was listed in a previous post.

Therefore Haer'dalis, having 9 CON, has no CON HP bonus. Increasing HP to 18 gives him an additional 2 HP per level, to a max of nine levels (= 18 HP). This happens regardless of level or levelups.

Perhaps BP thought that the belt was useless because the CON bonus applied WHEN a character levelled up, and thus for a character above level 9 would be useless. If you check SK you'll find that SK lists a Base HP that does not include the HP gained from whatever CON the character has.[/QUOTE]

Heh, thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, I am not new to the game at all and I play it every single day (and have been for a long time now) but there is still a tremendous amount of info that I do not know.