Best merchants to sell to?

Qwinn · Post by **Qwinn** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:07 am

Oh, okay, I getcha.

It honestly never occurred to me that using a Genius potion to scribe scrolls would be considered an exploit. Honest. Looking at that point now that you raise it, I can see why you think so, but as far as your reasoning goes - well, I was never in a PnP game that had a "potion of Genius" in it anyway. Here's my question - if that potion -isn't- meant to do what I used it for, then what the heck is it -for-? I can't think of one other possible use for pumping your intelligence by 4 points in BG2 or TOB, regardless of your class, if scroll scribing isn't supposed to be affected.

In all of SoA, there's only one conversation I know of that's keyed to the character's intelligence - which is when Soulafein (sp?) in the drow city asks what you know about illithids, or something to that effect. It makes him like you a little more if you give the "smart" answer, but there's a million other ways to get him to like you, and it's hardly necessary.

In most computer adaptions of D&D games, they've had plenty of deliberate variations from the official PnP rules. I'd chalk this up as one of those. If the PnP rules were adhered to in this respect, you'd be massively gimping yourself by playing any good alignment, since Edwin would be the only NPC mage worth taking (and even he couldn't cast 9th level spells).

One quick note - it has always been possible to get a 19 intelligence mage, by importing a character that used a Tome to pump intelligence 1 point in the original Baldur's Gate (in fact, the character I'm playing with right now has a 19 int). Would a 19 int character have been able to scribe 9th level spells in SoA, without ToB installed? If not, then I'd say that the whole thing was basically a bug, not a validation of those specific PnP rules as having been intended to apply to BG2.

Qwinn

Miser · Post by **Miser** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 11:59 am

TGHO:

Doh! So the "O" means one? Dang, shoulda guessed it!

I'm very interested to know more about the 2nd Ed Rules, care to explain a little? Or maybe direct us to a website that explains it? Also, what does PnP stand for?

By the way, wanna at least give me a hint for what games you tested?

Qwinn:

I think i may have confused ya (again!) when i said awhile ago that SoA mage-characters cannot memorize level 9 spells without ToB. That's "memorize", not scribe.

The reason is because to open up the level 9 spell slots, a mage character has to be at a level higher than what's permited by the experience cap in SoA (2.95m). From what i can remember, the next level above 2.95m experience should open up the level 9 spells.

INT doesnt put a huge restriction on scribing spells. As long as your INT is semi-decent, like 14+, there's no reason why you cant scribe high level spells. As far as i know, higher INT only increases the success rate of the scribing.

Yeltsu · Post by **Yeltsu** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:48 pm

[QUOTE=Miser] snip-> Also, what does PnP stand for? <-snip[/QUOTE]

pen and paper, the original way to play D&D

Qwinn · Post by **Qwinn** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:44 pm

"As far as i know, higher INT only increases the success rate of the scribing."

Incorrect. It also limits how -many- spells can be scribed at each spell level (so for a low int wizard, take the worst properties of both wizards and sorcerers and put them together). Aerie can only scribe something like 14 spells of each spell level before maxing out - well below the total. The reason I give her those potions of genius is so that she can scribe those additional spells when that limit has been hit.

Qwinn

The Great Hairy · Post by **The Great Hairy** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:57 pm

@Qwinn
Straight off the bat I can think of two uses for the Potion of Genius - firstly identifying a bunch of items rather than casting the ID spell, or paying at a shop to get them IDed. Yeah, it's only +4 to INT, but that +4 can mean +20 to your Lore.

Secondly, fighting Mind Flayers. The only time I've used a Potion of Genius was when Minsc got hit and had 2 points of INT left. I really didn't want him to die, so he drank one of those, and a Potion of Mind Focusing. Made it through the combat that time.

The potion does exist in 2nd Ed - in the Encyclopaedia of Magic Items. Not a common set of books for people to own, but it's in there. Although it sets INT to 24 for d4+1 turns.

(Cripes, I can't believe I remember that. Can you see the big fat "L" painted on my head??)

I agree that the PnP version does not fully translate to CRPGs, and I agree with pretty much everything Bioware did with the translation. I certainly don't mind the potion thingy, since I have always SK'ed my mage NPCs to 19 INT (the first time I played, I didn't realise that Bioware had not included the "only cast 9th level spells with 19 INT" rule).

Like Miser said, in pure SoA, a mage wouldn't be able to cast 9th level spells because the level limit is before 18th level, when they get access to 9th level spells.

@Miser
2nd Ed stuff: http://directory.google.com/Top/Games/R ... d_Edition/

Technically the 2nd Ed stuff is still under copyright, so you won't find much without visiting a gaming shop and buying some stuff. I will say that 2nd Ed was quite limited, and 3rd Ed is *really* much better! If you want more details, PM me, and we'll take the discussion to email.

As for games - vrooom vroom! Nothing well known or popular - don't forget I'm in Australia. We're not known for producing high quality or well-selling games!

Cheer all
TGHO

Miser · Post by **Miser** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:28 pm

Qwinn:

Yep, you're totally right. Thanks for correcting me.

TGHO:

Just out of curiousity, does anyone here play MTG?

Qwinn · Post by **Qwinn** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:08 am

MTG? You mean Magic: The Gathering? Yeah, I do.

Qwinn

Aztaroth · Post by **Aztaroth** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:32 am

You're not the only one who remembers stuff like that TGHO. Why I remember almost every Pokémon creep from when I was a 9-year old fan!

.....ooooh the agony.....

me0w · Post by **me0w** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:05 am

Guys, although what your saying is interesting (and new to me, .. Haer'Dalis can now have a full book, yay.) its going WAY off topic, your talking about mages, intelligence, all sorts of stuff, even modded in characters. The thread is about Merchants. Try to let it stay that way please.

Qwinn · Post by **Qwinn** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:35 am

meOw:

Well, actually, my question was resolved. Yes, there IS a merchant available in chapter 6 that gives an even better offer for your goods than the Sahuagin merchant. It's Ribald in the adventurer's mart, but only if you sell to him from his "special wares" list. He offers almost twice the gold for any item you sell to him that all the other merchants available in chapter 6 do.

Oh, and just to add a little note - I thought I'd check out the Watcher's Keep merchant to see if she was any good. Nope, she offers the same as most merchants do.

So anyway, since the primary question was resolved, and in a very satisfying manner I might add, and no one has introduced a new question regarding merchants, as the creator of the thread I really don't mind if the thread goes off on a tangent

But that's just me.

Qwinn

Miser · Post by **Miser** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:52 am

[QUOTE=me0w]Guys, although what your saying is interesting (and new to me, .. Haer'Dalis can now have a full book, yay.) its going WAY off topic, your talking about mages, intelligence, all sorts of stuff, even modded in characters. The thread is about Merchants. Try to let it stay that way please.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you're right, sorry.