No-killing minimum deaths game POSSIBLE SPOILERS

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:08 am

I have started a no-reloads game in which the absolute minimum of people die, and in which non of my party kill anyone. A bit like a former game of mine where I achieved the objective of not killing anyone, but this time I won't be getting anyone else to do the killing unless it is absolutely necessary.
I have started a game with one character:
Stealthsword a Halfling Fighter/Thief: Str 17 Dex 19 Con 18 Int 9 Wis 8 Cha 18

Hi there, My name is Stealthsword, a halfling of no mean reputation, having just stopped savarok in his tracks. This is truly amazing as I am not what you would call, the average run-of the mill adventurer, for one thing, I just could not bring myself to kill anyone and I have some reservations about getting others to do it for me. This thread will give some indications as to how it was done.
It was Gorion who told me to prepare myself for this adventure, so that is what I did. In Candlekeep, I helped a few folk by fetching and carrying and as a result ended up with a nice new +1 dagger.
I was sent for some training along with Osprey, Arkanis, Canderous, Mordaine and Deder. I asked them to leave my party, but as I was about to leave, I asked Arkanis if he would rejoin me. This he did, and he asked the others to rejoin too. I went to see Gorion and he took me outside Candlekeep whereupon we were ambushed.
I immediately headed south to the High hedge area and paused to think about what to do next. My friends kindly supplied me with some provisions, healing potions, oil of speed, a decent shield, armour and suchlike. I promised them that I would return them when I could.
We then proceeded to Beregost where, to say thankyou, I paid for them to stay in an Inn before saying goodbye.
I proceeded to another Inn where a rather aggressive character tried to pick a fight with me. I managed to cool him down however, much to my relief.
later on I was able to find a book that Firebeard wanted.
Upstairs in that Inn a character called Algernon had a cloak that I thought would be quite useful in my quest. I therefore acquired it without him even noticing. It was a far more important acquisition than you might realise.
To be continued.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 10:54 am

Proceeding in a southerly direction, I came across a couple of Ogrillions both of whom I charmed with the cloak. On pickpocketting them, I carried on in a southwesterly direction where I charmed a Hobgoblin. I pickpocketted him in order to acquire some boots of stealth. I returned to Beregost where I gave a letter thus acquired to Mirianne. She was so delighted that she gave me a ring. I rejoined Osprey who was kind enough to identify my acquisitions.
In one of the Inns I met Perdue who asked me if I could return him his sword, stolen by a Gnoll. I did so, using the charm and pickpocket tactic, leading him away from another Gnoll to avoid them fighting after I had charmed him.
I then remembered Gorion's advice and headed off towards The Friendly Arms Inn. On the way I met Imoen and two other characters all of whomn were friendly. They gave me some much needed potions. However, I left them behind as I thought that they would make the party too conspicuous. I found a diamond before heading east. I met a most peculiar fellow who questioned my sanity. Cheeky character! I found another ring on my way to the Inn and yet another just outside the Inn. There are some careless people around aren't there? A woman called Joia asked me if I could get her ring from a Hobgoblin. This I did using the charm and pickpocket method. I entered the Inn by stealth to avoid a suspiscous character. There I was given several potions that cure poison and I met Jahiera and Khalid who both gave me potions before I left. Jaheira hinted that I should go to Nashkel, which I proceeded to do. In Beregost, Osprey again identified items for me in return for a night's lodging at the Inn. I sold the rings and bought some shadow armour at the smithy.
Proceeding south-west, I came across a soldier called Brage and helped him get to safety in Nashkel. There I found some excellent armour and a pearl before heading south. In Nashkel I also met a rather annoying man, who but for my excellent selfcontrol would have been hit and hit hard. I also met a woman who asked me to help find out what had happened to her husband.
Continued later.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:41 am

Going southwest I helped a dog and a cat before going to the mines. Used stealth to avoid the bad guys and when I opened a chest in the bottom level I was accosted by Mulhaney. I used the cloak to befriend him, whereupon he was accosted by his own kobolds ans skeletons. To avoid killing the kobolds, I equipped him with fists only and when he tried casting spiitual hammer I moved him slightly so that it failed. The problem I then had was that he rapidly became surrounded by unconcious kobolds and the skeletons could not get through to him. I therefore had to charm a kobold in the hope of enabling a skeleton to get through to Mulhaney. It worked, but the kobold was also immediately killed. Still, much better than last time. Only two deaths and I didn't kill either of them. Made a sharp exit after picking up his belongings. To get to them I had to charm a healthy kobold. This drew them away from his belongings. I then thumped him to avoid him getting killed, grabbed the stuff and made a sharp exit, hiding as soon as I could. I then returned to Nashkel, spoke to Joseph's wife and the mayor before returning to Beregost where I gave my friends some of the loot. I met a weird fellow again. He gave me some info about the bandits. I met a bandit who I managed to fool into taking me to his camp. Once there a fellow called Tazok attacked me. I avoided him by going into a tent and hiding, I used to stealth to get into his tent, talked to his captive, and got hold of his papers. Whilst there I also filled my pockets with gold and pickpocketted a ver nice bow. Headed off to cloakwood, getting to the mines by stealth. I got down to the bottom level without fighting anybody but gave 100gp to help the slaves. I was attacked by the manager of the mines, but once again the cloak came to my rescue. I had to stop him casting spells, otherwise he might have killed the guard. Unfortunately the guard killed him. So far three deaths, and no killing by me.
To be continued.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:43 am

Continued to Baldur's Gate. Couldn't do the Seven Suns or Sewer Quest without killing, so just did the non-killing ones: Rescuing child from Temple, finding gauntlets, getting skull of Kereph, Yago's Spellbook, Angel Ring, Balduran's Cloak and Helmet, releasing thief from Geas and as a bi-product getting Tome, (Didn't give it to High Priestess, but pickpocketted her for the Geas and Spheme Gem which I used to complete the Basilisk Quest), Bow, and Potions for myself (Before getting the potions, I pickpocketted Malek and ran). Acquired Tomes of Dexterity and Intelligence. Fooled a rather foolish ogre. Sneaked into the Iron Throne and left without fighting, just talked to get information needed by the Duke, left for Candlekeep.
Used stealth to get through candlekeep without any fighting. Went to pick up Xan who was by then Level 6.
Returned to Baldur's Gate, saving Samuel and returning a cursed dagger on the way.
Rescued duke Eltan using stealth and speed. in the undercellars charmed Slythe and pickpocketted an invitation. In the iron throne put Ugh and Arghh
to sleep before dealing with Cythandra. She surrendered so nobody had to be killed went to Ducal palace.
So far three deaths and my party have killed nobody.
To be continued.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 7:33 am

Picked up Xan and the nearby wand of monster summoning.
In the Ducal Palace I used stealth to get as close to Lila as I could so that I could heal her if necessary. Then used the wand to surround Belt and Lila.
Once the Doppelgangers showed their true colours, I put most of them to sleep and charmed as many as I could. This quickly cut down their numbers.
Once there were only friendly ones left I hit them one at a time to make them hostile, this making them easy to deal with. Needless to say, I equipped my fists in order to avoid killing anyone myself. Result: I didn't kill anyone, only deaths, the doppelgangers. You cannot get through this one by charming the doppelgangers before they shapeshift for programming reasons. They have to die before Savarok will step in. Went for the final battle. managed to do that fairly easily killing only Savarok.
1) Dispelled inviibility and cast haste.
2) Made Xan Invisible.
3) Xan cast resiliant sphere spell on Tazok from extreme right hand side.
4) Immediately made Xan invisible again.. Tazok ended up next to Xan and stayed there.
5) Moved Xan back to the doorway.
6) Approached Saverok and once he had spoken to him ran away.
7) Cast protection from magic on Semaj as soon as he had teleported. He cast all his spells quite harmlessly.
8) Used wand of monster summonning to lure him to the right with a dog.
made Xan invisible again. I think that the dog was eventually unsummoned as I didn't find a boy.
9) Lured Saverok away from Angelo by ensuring ouly he could see me when I shot an arrow at him, then backstabbed, hid behind a pillar, backstabbed, hid etcntil he had lost about 120 hit points. Led him over to Angello who shot his arrows of explosion at me, hitting Saverok in the process. Eventually he killed him. I was however concerned that he would run out of his arrows and realised that I should have used my necklace of missiles to do a little more damage before showing myself to Saverok.
So, I didn't kill anyone. The only deaths were a Kobold, Mulhaney, Davercorn, the Doppelgangers and Saverok. Only death that could have been avoided with more skill, the Kobold.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:58 am

So that's it. I don't know how many are interested in this type of game other than CFM, but if it has interested just a few, it was worth writing it up.
I doubt that I'll go down this road again now that I know how to do it unless somebody can tell me how to avoid some of the deaths. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. The attachments might be of interest. It shows that the moaning of "Not enough powerful weapons" is not valid if I can defeat the game with just my fists, Algernon's cloak and one shot from a bow.

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:13 am

Very cool account, wise. Helps the lunch break go by, to say the least.

That endgame "Information" screenshot is a Classic.

I bought BG the day it came out, yet only played it start to finish (BG1 to ToB) once, and in 2004, not too long ago. When I start a title, I meticulously plug away at it every spare minute I can, I never play more than one at a time, and I always finish it. Rather obsessively too, my wife says I'm funny/wierd like that Monk dude on TV. ("omg, you do that too!" she says, smiling and pointing at Tony Shaloub on the television.) Yet I'll go whole years without playing anything, which is sick if you knew how many games I own. For me, starting a game is somewhat of an epic undertaking, in regards to the amount of real life I know I'll commit in the weeks or months it'll take to finish. I always say I'll start a new game tomorrow when I ain't got nothin' goin'. That kind of tomorrow never seems to come. (But I'm lucky: this is my only problem.)

With that said, I've played thru the BG Saga once, which is sick if you knew how much I think about it. Standard good-guy Cleric, standard good-guy full party, etc. I may never get around to having Xan in my party, or role-playing an evil dude, or loading the Kelsey mod, or siding with Bodhi, or running a Fighter/Mage.

Or playing a No-Killing Minimum Deaths game. So, reading about all that on this forum on my lunchhour is the next best thing. Thanks wise!

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 12:21 am

That's pretty amazing, WG. If there's anything that limits the appeal of BG1 to me, it's the fact that you can't do very much in the game besides kill enemies. Completing the game without killing anybody is a very novel idea, and I'm surprised you pulled it off. Congratulations!

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:36 am

VonDondu wrote:That's pretty amazing, WG. If there's anything that limits the appeal of BG1 to me, it's the fact that you can't do very much in the game besides kill enemies. Completing the game without killing anybody is a very novel idea, and I'm surprised you pulled it off. Congratulations!

I was simply playing myself. I dislike violence and try to avoid it, but I also hate evil. The problem was, how to beat evil using as little violence as possible. One of my faults is that I am also rather devious. That was actually an advantage in this situation, as you have to have a quite devious mind in order to beat evil in this game without killing.