Best Trader for Magical Items???

Camshaft23 · Post by **Camshaft23** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 12:59 am

Hi,

New to BGII and online D&D, still in first dungeon and getting by okay.

Where and who is the best trader in the game for magical items??

Have cheats available, but really don't want to rely on theme beyond initial stat generation and maaaaybe travel.

Thanks in advance!

Blomdor · Post by **Blomdor** » Fri Jun 29, 2012 5:12 am

It depends on your party composition. The Adventurer's Mart just outside of the starting dungeon has a wide selection, good enough to equip most classes sufficiently to fight through much of the game if you have the gold. With the bonus shopkeepers installed, there is also a woman there who sells what are easily some of the most powerful items in the entire game. Also check out the armorer/fletcher north of the Mart for a very nice assortment of arrows, and the spell store to the east for arcane and protective scrolls. The town of Trademeet found later in the game is also a gold mine, and the quests there are easy to complete for a low level party. Mrs. Cragmoon appears during certain times of day in the southern area of the Bridge district with some useful potions, and the Copper Coronet not only sells some very decent weapons and scrolls but also contains another bonus merchant. Be sure to check it twice, once before and then after doing the quests there. Finally, most temples are stocked with some useful potions and scrolls.

These are all useful shops for any party that you may have. I'm leaving out a lot of the smaller vendors that you may find throughout the city. Hold tab over a neutral person e.g. a commoner to see its name - if it's named something other than "commoner", "peasant", or "noble", it may be worth talking to. I'm still finding new black market thieves around the city after many, many playthroughs, and their selections can be surprisingly decent.

Rancid Sushi · Post by **Rancid Sushi** » Sat Jun 30, 2012 6:51 pm

Don't forget about Roger the Fence in the sewers under the Temple District. He has some of the best potions in the game. In general, all of the fences have some good items but usually they are only found at night (except Roger, who is always there).

Sykar · Post by **Sykar** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 2:26 am

There is no "best" trader per se in the game there are several which sell quite some nice items.

Few have been mentioned but some other merchants are noteworthy:

Bernard in the Copper Coronet sells some terrific stuff after you freed Hendak and the slaves there from Lethinan, like up to level 8 scrolls for mage, two +3 Axes, one which destroys undead and is a returningthrown weapo, the other deals additional fire damage, +3 Longsword with a Charisma Bonus, Flaming Longsword +1, etc.

Joluv is also in the Copper Coronet and sells some nice stuff like Defender of Easthaven.

In Trademeet after you have dealt with the Djinns you can get very nice stuff from the local merchants like +3 Club for example or Girdle of Fortitude which grants 18 Con for 8 hours a day or Robe of the Archmage.

Marina in Renals hideout sells some nifty stuff as well like level 3-4 spells.

In Waukeens Promande there is another decent scroll merchant as well just above the temple of Ilmater.

Aledrian who is in Gaelan's hideout on the first floor sells some nice beginner equipment and the useful glasses of identification plus a gem purse.

Gorf the Squisher in Mae'Vars thief guild in the Docks sells the only Nymph Cloak I know of in SoA plus a rogue stone plus some +2 weapons, amunition and some nice poitions like Potion of Haste and Invisibility.
Careful when you are doing a quest concerning Mae'Var he will let's say disappear when you are at the final stage of the game. The +2 Charisma from the Cloak by the way stacks with a certain ring which also improves your charisma and this means you can get like another 10%+ discount on merchant prices so in the long run the inestment is definatly worth it or if you are not above stealing you can shoplift it. Be careful if you get caught stealing from him because then you are as good as dead.

Oh and by the way it is not really needed to cheat your stats because many items and several spells increase or rather set a certain score to a specific amount:

Strength: Gauntlets of Ogre Power can be found early and set your Strength to 18/00 and you can buy a Girdle of Hill Giant Strength which sets it to 19.

Dexterity: Some potions set it to 18 and there is a pair of gloves found in Athkatla Unseeing Eye Cult area which sets it to 18 as well.

Constitution: You can get a belt which sets it to 18 for 8 hours a day normally enough for one dungeon crawl.

Intelligence: Nearly useless unless you are a Bard or a Mage. Still would try to get it to 9-13 or so against Mindflayers since they drain 4 points per hit and at 0 Intelligence you are dead.
Potion of Genius and Potion of Mind increase it by iirc +3 for a short time.

Wisdom: Useless unless you are a Cleric or a Druid. Minor benefit to Paladins but they have so few spells and so late it is not a big deal if it is at base value. There is a potion which sets it to 18.

Charisma: As I already mentioned you can get a ring early in around Waukeens Promenade which increases it to 18 and another +2 from the Nymphs Cloak I mentioned earlier so you can be as low a 3 with Charisma and still easily get it to 20.

Rancid Sushi · Post by **Rancid Sushi** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:11 pm

I could swear that a high wisdom score gave a bonus to saving throws for all classes.

Sykar · Post by **Sykar** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:17 am

My current Sorc runs around with 17 wisdom (for later Wish spell) and I see no difference to any of the other characters in my group like Jaheria who is also a half elf ( for Viconia romance, she does not romance elves).

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:35 am

It is supposed grant a bonus to saving throws, but that was never implemented within the Baldur's Gate series.

Wrathful · Post by **Wrathful** » Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:38 am

Rancid Sushi wrote:I could swear that a high wisdom score gave a bonus to saving throws for all classes.

It does say so in the manual. However, the manual is wrong. WIS doesn't affect saving throws at all!

Adventurer's Mart is the most important shop in the game. Ribald sells some very nice items, such as the Rod of Ressurection, which can be used for healing. Deidre sells even better items, such as Robe of Vecna, Vhailor's Helm, Shield of Balduran, etc. Lady Yuth sells a lot of spells and scrolls, nice prices too.

Galoomp, the Book-keeper in Waukeen's Promenade, and Cutpurse, who can be found in The Bridge District at night, also sell some nice spells. Roger The Fence in The Sewers sells some excellent potions.

Bernard in the Copper Coronet has nice items after Hendak takes over. While in the Copper Coronet, you shouldn't miss Joluv, who sells Sling of Everard +5, Defender of Easthaven +3...

Trademeet is also a good place to buy items, be sure not to miss the marketplace merchant (Dwarven Thrower +3, Tansheron's Bow +3, Cloak of Displacement...).

While in the Underdark, look for Celig's Shop and Therndle Daglefodd. Both of them sell some high level spells which will make your mage very powerful.

Also, go visit Sister Garlena outside of the Watcher's Keep.