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handy tips of the trade?

This forum is to be used for all discussions pertaining to BioWare's Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
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dranatos
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handy tips of the trade?

Post by dranatos »

must say this site is a great fountain of knowledge.(and cheeze)
trying to enchance my gameplay and would like to invite people to post any tips and combos that may not be Obvious initially even to vets of the game.
among things i have learned so far :
basic one is using items on simulacrums and images not using up the actual item.(too cheezy for me)

my favourite tip was someone suggesting using staff of magi to dispell insect plague on party members. now i use it also for hold/paralysis and other bad effects (nothing like imoen saying `wake up..! with a whack to the head)
note: carsomyr does the same but too painful.

greater restore heals everyone and not like its description (with tob installed- cant believe i found this out only at the end of my 2nd game tob - but it does make major battles cheesy in my opinion)

attribute draining kills anything if u bring it down to 0. eg mind flayer shapechange intelligence drain, chaos blade dexterity drain-must try this one next.

switch off the AI if u want to concentrate bashing on a major monster with lackeys around. makes a major difference eg with demogorgon.

any others?
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Aegis
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Post by Aegis »

Don't attempt to steal boo...

Imoen IS your sister!

Apparently Drow don't like it when you tickle their rib cages from the inside out. :D
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Xyx
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Post by Xyx »

One thing I feel everyone should know is the way attacks and spellcasting are handled. A good understanding makes a world of difference. Read [url="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bwscript/files/DOCUMENTS/BGII%20Spells%20Reference/2-1%20General%20Spell%20Info.htm#CastAndAttack"]here[/url] for the low-down. :)
[url="http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/SpellsReference/Main.htm"]Baldur's Gate 2 Spells Reference[/url]: Strategy, tips, tricks, bugs, cheese and corrections to the manual.
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Obsidian
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Post by Obsidian »

Learn your NPC's skills and weaknesses. I for one, rarely use scripting cuz it pisses me off.
Handy trick, someone gets direcharmed, whack em with the Holy Avenger, dispels it real good.
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hwttdz
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Post by hwttdz »

If you're in a dungeon and run out of arrows have a mage memorize monster summoning I. In my experience you get an average of one kobold commando which you can easily dispatch to net 2 arrows of fire and 20ish normal arrows.

If you want some npc that does not have 18 str (or 19 in the case of the heartseeker bow) to use a composite longbow. All you have to do is give them a potion or the belt of hill giant strength, equip the weapon of choice and then unequip the item of strength transference.
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Post by fable »

Never, ever peer into the business end of a wand. :)
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Ode to a Grasshopper
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Post by Ode to a Grasshopper »

Use the Cleric spell "Magic Resistance" on dragons to lower their MR to a maximum of 40%, as opposed to the higher MR they have normally. The same goes for the mage spell Strength, it lowers some creatures STR values if cast on them.
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gnomethingy
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Post by gnomethingy »

Mislead affords you limitless backstabbs..

Spook rocks against dragons and other big nasties (The save - with doom and malison is -12 and nothing will cast spells, special abilities, ect while spooked)

Rod of resurection can be cast on a living party member, it heals them fully and from anywhere on the map

Casting Feeblemind doesnt make people go hostile so vs hard, dialogue innitiated fights you can just keep trying and trying until you get it

Storm of veangance pretty much stops all spellcasting in the vicinity

Blade barrier / Globe of blades can be cast while in santuary (Meaning no one will attack you, even though your a walking blender)

Gorch in meavars hildhouse has an unlimteted number of +2 maces, is easy to steal from and buys stolen good..
You can raise unlimeted finds by stealing inventories full of maces and selling them back to him

All items that fire Magic amunition can still be equiped with normal ammo..
So firetooth can fire bolts of lighing ect, and all the others can fire the amunition of your choice

Many enemies that probably shouldnt be, deamons / mindflayers / beholders etc are vulnerable to deathblow and greater deathblow and in certain circomstances, even deathspell

Mordenkainens swords can be pickpocketed for greenstone amulets

drinking a potion of invisibilitie, while an enemy is casting a spell at you.. Even if they have true sight on will in almost all occasions cancel the spell (Provided its not an area effect spell, or you dont sync you drinking with the true sight effect and that dont happen often)

Ac cannot go below -20, even though it will display as being morso, its not.. So dont bother tacking it lower

Armour of faith stacks

This one is my personal favourite, Summon a feind near people you dont like.. He will kill everything he sees and you loose no rep, vere usefull for neeber / Nalias aunt etc (Cast it from a scroll if your lvl isnt high enough, there plenty lying around)

Thats my store of bits and bobs..
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hwttdz
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Post by hwttdz »

The best thing to steal and sell back is the staff of the magi at 12000 a pop.
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Post by garazdawi »

If you take two rings of regeneration and the axe wchich regenerates you ra ealmost invinsible.

Cast prot from magic items on a monk with level 20.
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gnomethingy
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Post by gnomethingy »

Originally posted by garazdawi

Cast prot from magic items on a monk with level 20.
What do you mean by this? Protection from magic items...?? Sorry, Its late, im slow..

could you clarify it?
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Post by Ode to a Grasshopper »

He probably mean's Prot from Magic Weapons. :)

You can read scrolls no matter what class you are by drinking a potion in your inventory screen and then replacing the potion with a scroll in the inventory slot before exiting the inventory.
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garazdawi
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Post by garazdawi »

Ofcourse I meant weapons :rolleyes: It was quite late when I wrote that stuff :o if you do as Ode says you'll be almost invisible, for a short period of time anyway.

*edit* that would be invinsible not invisible *edit*
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gnomethingy
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Post by gnomethingy »

Ahh yes, I knew about that one..

Summoning familars in that way is another cool thing, Tensers is nice too for fighters.. More hp/Ac, You can also use it to cast triggers and contingencies for clerics and druids, its got a million uses,

There all deplorably cheesy, but fun nonetheless
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Post by osh »

With the shapechange and intelligence drain tactic, the right set of sequencers can overcome the mind flayer's combat shortcomings, especially its horrible thaco.

1. minor sequencer with strength and spell of choice (mirror image, perhaps)

2. sequencer with spirit armor, improved invisibility, and spell of choice (fireshield?)

3. spell trigger with tenser's, improved haste, and protection from magical weapons

After shapechanging and firing off those three sequencers, I had Mind Flayer Edwin at -9 ac, -1 thac0, 8 attacks, and 102 hps. Aerie could get an even better thac0 by sticking a draw upon holy might in after the strength. I wonder if there's any way to improve the hit points... the girdle of fortitude's constitution boost, maybe? Throwing up a few pre-shapechange buffs like spell immunity to divination and abjuration should make the Uber-Flayer more or less unstoppable.

Until it runs into something that requires +3 or better weapons, that is. :(
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Post by MasterDarkNinja »

-have stuff like potions of Genius and Mind Focusing ready for mind flayers.
-potions of genius can let you cheat with wizards in order to learn all of the spells in the game, once you have a spell that you can't learn from being maxed out in the number spells that you can learn drink a potion of genius and learn the spell. you will still know the spell after the potion wears off.
-a perfect party has 3 fighters, 1 thief, 1 mage, and 1 cleric. you can make these be different types of classes that are still the same thing, like you could have an Undead hunter be one figher and an archer be another fighter.
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Post by NiteWulf »

Always identify an item if you don't thrust it
There's no knowledge that's not POWER!!!!

"Power is the ability to control the actions of others, regardless of their wishes" et al, Cohen

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Alson
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Post by Alson »

Originally posted by NiteWulf
Always identify an item if you don't thrust it
Even if you do - always identify an item before equiping it, so you can enjoy the bonuses it grants.
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Post by Alson »

Originally posted by hwttdz
The best thing to steal and sell back is the staff of the magi at 12000 a pop.
The Staff of the Magi is a close second after the unrightfully most expensive Wand of Wander - you can sell it for 15000!
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I cannot be controlled.
(I probably cannot be contained either) :p ;)

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MasterDarkNinja
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Post by MasterDarkNinja »

Originally posted by Alson

The Staff of the Magi is a close second after the unrightfully most expensive Wand of Wander - you can sell it for 15000!
I never heard of the wand of wander but by the time that you get your hand on either of those items aren't you usually so rich that you have more money then you know what to do with?
Remember, being Evil in Baldur's Gate 2 is VERY fun...
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