Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

[danzibr]

I remember reading somewhere in the forums that NPCs won't get kits or revamps of any form.

Boo! Well, I probably won't take any of them. Nothing against the NPCs, just want a fresh experience and all.

I plan on making a Fighter kit, if Weidu works with the Enchanced Edition.

Making a Fighter kit, eh? I'd be interested.

Speaking of Fighter kits, if you did Wizard Slayer then dualed to Thief and got the Use Any Item thing (so I'm talking ToB here) could you use magic stuff?

I'm also curious as to whether Shapeshifter paw has a weapon type. Like... dagger and single. I'd so go Shapeshifter/Fighter, maybe.

[Johnny Blade]

I'm kind of making an item pack right now, although I've put off actually coding the more complex things and making an installer until I see what EE changes.

I've seen an Ascension playthrough come to a screeching halt right during the final battle because the mage was Jan, an Illusionist. No Skull Traps is sad, but workable (Fireball is pretty much a Skull Trap); no Horrid Wilting is painful. Diviners lose Conjuration, which doesn't sting much at early levels (Melf and Flame Arrow are useful against trolls and are decent single target nukes, but ehhh), but then you lose out on Nishruu, Hakeashar, Invisible Stalker, Gate and Power Word Kill... which are all good, not extremely important (I'd hate to lose the Stalker, I guess), but pretty decent. I'd rather actually run an Evoker (though not in BG1 where they lose two schools instead of one for no reason) or Conjurer (loses out on Divinities, of which you only really care for True Seeing, in my experience, and Cleric has that).

Well, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of Necromancy and Conjuration spells that are great, but none that I find essential.

I used to think the same about Conjurers, but ever since I've been using Sword Coast Stratagems, I've always had two level 2 slots at least devoted to Detect Invisibility, starting mid-BG1, and it has honestly saved my party's lives on many occasions. So while Divination is pretty terrible in general, I feel that I simply need to have that spell. See below on that, though.

Evokers lose out on Conjuration and Enchantment as far as I know, effectively making them worse Diviners. If this is just a weird mod thing I wasn't aware of and not actually how it is in the regular game, their stock goes way up, of course.

Um, what spells do you put on your Cleric?

Standard stuff, I'd say, so True Sight is in there, and sometimes in multiples or together with a Wondrous Recall.

True Sight's problem is that it only pings at certain intervals, so you often have to wait out the first round due to active Improved Invis thanks to Contingencies. All you can often do in that time to hurt the offending caster is Dispel or casting Insect Plague on one of your own dudes. I also kinda suspect that Sword Coast Stratagems makes the AI factor in True Sight when timing its spells, so you can run into that same problem in the middle of a fight.

Also, if True Sight gets knocked off or simply expires, it takes a while to recast, and you may not have that time.

(The first point also applies to thieves trying to detect illusions, the second obviously not so much.)

This is why I like Detect Invisibility so much. It's low level and cast instantly, so it's a great safety net.


Of course, this is mostly all conjecture since I think most people don't do SoA and ToB without two arcane casters, and as long as you've got a second one to pick up the slack when the first one doesn't have the right spells at hand, you can in my opinion make do with pretty much everything that doesn't lose access to Contingency and the like, which in vanilla would be Enchanters. Transmuters and Abjurers would probably be pretty tough to play, but I think it would work. Transmuters, at least. Don't quote me on that, though. Although I kind of want to find out now.

[Morty]

Making a Fighter kit, eh? I'd be interested.

If I get it to work, I'll probably publish it. It'll be a Fighter restricted to studded leather but with Offensive and Defensive Spin like the Blade.

Speaking of Fighter kits, if you did Wizard Slayer then dualed to Thief and got the Use Any Item thing (so I'm talking ToB here) could you use magic stuff?

I think there's more than one way for a class not to be able to use an item. Don't quote me on that, but if it's true then it would depend on how WS's restrictions work.

[ThiagoMartell]

I think there's more than one way for a class not to be able to use an item. Don't quote me on that, but if it's true then it would depend on how WS's restrictions work.

I'm pretty sure it works. It does for Kensai, so...

[Triaxx]

It does. It has to because Thieves are already restricted, so it removes those and for others.

[Morty]

I see. Still not worth sticking with Wizard Slayer long enough to get it, I think.

[Starbuck_II]

Speaking of the 1st game Xzar and his thief, do you need to speak with mayor for them to not leave you or do you need to actually finish mines because on one play though they left me because I wasted time.

[Johnny Blade]

It's enough to talk to the mayor. Same with Jaheira and Khalid.

[Calemyr]

Question: When does BG unlock? Midnight, noon, 6:23 PM?

[Muz]

Question: When does BG unlock? Midnight, noon, 6:23 PM?

No idea, but my pre-load is...pre-loading!

...I have nothing to contribute.

[Jeivar]

Ugh, I STILL haven't decided between Inquisitor and Berserker-to-dual-as-mage.
I've never fully played a spellcaster in the series before and I guess I should try it, but I just can't get Keldorn+Carsomyr awesomeness out of my mind.

[Winthur]

Ugh, I STILL haven't decided between Inquisitor and Berserker-to-dual-as-mage.
I've never fully played a spellcaster in the series before and I guess I should try it, but I just can't get Keldorn+Carsomyr awesomeness out of my mind.

Run a duo of paladins. Hand the Carsomyr over to Keldorn, dual-wield Purifier with something cool yourself. Have fun bringing righteous justice.

[Calemyr]

Ugh, I STILL haven't decided between Inquisitor and Berserker-to-dual-as-mage.
I've never fully played a spellcaster in the series before and I guess I should try it, but I just can't get Keldorn+Carsomyr awesomeness out of my mind.

You won't get Carsomyr this year. This is purely the original Baldur's Gate. Inquisitor's double-strength dispel magic is still pretty awesome, though.

Spell casters are ridiculously powerful, for BG1 you'll have to dual-class pretty early to get anything useful out of a mage. There are also a lot of really good choices for mages for allies in any event. Edwin, Dynaheir, Imoen (such a clear candidate for dual-classing that it became canon), and the new half-elf wild mage.

[danzibr]

Hmm, to make a BGI party or plan for BGII?

I still dunno what characters to make. Probably 2 or 3 then NPC it up.

[Johnny Blade]

Ugh, I STILL haven't decided between Inquisitor and Berserker-to-dual-as-mage.
I've never fully played a spellcaster in the series before and I guess I should try it, but I just can't get Keldorn+Carsomyr awesomeness out of my mind.

Play an Inquisitor, and use Shadowkeeper to make Minsc a Berserker/Mage, multi- or dual-classed.

"Evil! Minsc and Boo have come to clean up this stinking den of villainy, but instead of a mop they have summoned an ARMY OF SWORDS! See their polished blades and tremble in your filthy boots! FOR JUSTICE!"

[Calemyr]

Hmm, to make a BGI party or plan for BGII?

I still dunno what characters to make. Probably 2 or 3 then NPC it up.

I figure my party will be a swashbuckler, Imoen, Neera, and Rasaad.

I think I'll leave the last two slots open and swap 'em around. Khalid and Jaheira until the mines are clear, Minsc and Dynaheir until Imoen's back on her feet after dual-classing, Dorn and Viconia until they manage to convince me (or someone else) to kill them, then probably Kivan and Yeslick for final chapters.

[Winthur]

Play an Inquisitor, and use Shadowkeeper to make Minsc a Berserker/Mage, multi- or dual-classed.

"Evil! Minsc and Boo have come to clean up this stinking den of villainy, but instead of a mop they have summoned an ARMY OF SWORDS! See their polished blades and tremble in your filthy boots! FOR JUSTICE!"

8 Intelligence mage, Elminster watch out!

[Johnny Blade]

8 Intelligence, but also 1 hamster and up to 2 swords.


I think you'd have to permanently cheat him up to 9 Int just to enable spell learning.

[Jeivar]

You won't get Carsomyr this year. This is purely the original Baldur's Gate. Inquisitor's double-strength dispel magic is still pretty awesome, though.

Spell casters are ridiculously powerful, for BG1 you'll have to dual-class pretty early to get anything useful out of a mage. There are also a lot of really good choices for mages for allies in any event. Edwin, Dynaheir, Imoen (such a clear candidate for dual-classing that it became canon), and the new half-elf wild mage.

I'm planning long-term. And if I go Berserker I won't Dual until BG2.

[Calemyr]

I'm planning long-term. And if I go Berserker I won't Dual until BG2.

Fair enough. Especially if you're only going to run through once.

Actually, I'm going to change my claim for starting character. If shadowkeeper works for it and/or the game is modified to allow kits in multi-class, I'm going swashbuckler/fighter. That's always fun.

[Morty]

I'm not sure about my party composition. It'll be the same regardless of whether I play my kit or vanilla Fighter, but I'm not sure whether I'll go Lawful Evil or Lawful Neutral yet, and it affects my choices.

[Starbuck_II]

Playing BG Tutu: have myself (1/2 Orc Cleric 3/Thief 3 with 19 str and con, though as not a warrior not much benefit from con),
Imeon Dualed Thief 4/Mage 1 (can't wait till she can use a bow again, using throwing daggers and darts),
Kagain (20 Con Fighter 3 Dwarf!),
Tiax (Cleric 2/Thief 2 like me but with low str),
Sharteel (Dualed Fighter 3 to Thief 1),
Garrick (Bard 3)

Ditched Xzar and M for Kagain and Sharteel.
Strange bug when Marl attacked in F's Inn in Beregost, another personm attacked as well so I lost 4 Rep.
I have 7 Rep now

[Jeivar]

Fair enough. Especially if you're only going to run through once.

Oh, I'll probably run though more than once, given that BG is a part of my childhood. But, as with most games I like, it's so damn LONG deciding what to do with it is a major decision. Same with party composition. I want to try one or two of the new characters, but I'm such a stickler for good story I lean very strongly towards just using the canon team.

Heck, Jaheira is the main reason I don't play female in BG2.

[Johnny Blade]

I'm actually enjoying making the item mod I mentioned earlier and figuring out how to get the effects I want to work properly quite a lot. So now I'm considering to also go back to an earlier mod idea, which was to revamp the Beast Master, which would have to start with a playthrough using one in a party together with the likes of Korgan and/or Keldorn to see how the kit stacks up against the actually good warrior options (mainly how badly the weapon and armor restrictions hurt).

I was wondering if somebody here has some thoughts or ideas to share on that poor, terrible kit. Or maybe even played it.

Playing BG Tutu: have myself (1/2 Orc Cleric 3/Thief 3 with 19 str and con, though as not a warrior not much benefit from con),
Imeon Dualed Thief 4/Mage 1 (can't wait till she can use a bow again, using throwing daggers and darts),
Kagain (20 Con Fighter 3 Dwarf!),
Tiax (Cleric 2/Thief 2 like me but with low str),
Sharteel (Dualed Fighter 3 to Thief 1),
Garrick (Bard 3)

Do you have the BG1 NPC Project installed?
Because I really liked Kagain's banters with Tiax, and you have some of the more well-written characters in there*.



*: Garrick has decent writing, but he's still Garrick and so you might get tired of him at some point.

[mangosta71]

8 Intelligence, but also 1 hamster and up to 2 swords.


I think you'd have to permanently cheat him up to 9 Int just to enable spell learning.

Don't have to cheat. Just give him the tome of permanent +int that would otherwise go to an actual caster.

[Starbuck_II]

Do you have the BG1 NPC Project installed?
Because I really liked Kagain's banters with Tiax, and you have some of the more well-written characters in there*.



*: Garrick has decent writing, but he's still Garrick and so you might get tired of him at some point.

Yes I have that mod, haven't have too much between those two yet, mostly Garrick. I mostly use him for the music (+1 hit, morale saves) and the occasional spell whenI have him strip (he uses Studded leather so he can't cast unless he takes it off) .
I hate having someone fail morale after being crit and running like a chicken with head cut off.

Garrick is needed if you use Jahiera's boyfriend I hear as he is very into failing morale saves.

[Winthur]

Evokers lose out on Conjuration and Enchantment as far as I know, effectively making them worse Diviners. If this is just a weird mod thing I wasn't aware of and not actually how it is in the regular game, their stock goes way up, of course.

(Somehow I skimmed past this post accidentally.) Yes, Evokers do lose out on two magic schools, but in BG1. As far as I know, in BG2 they only lose Enchantment. Like it should be.

Garrick is needed if you use Jahiera's boyfriend I hear as he is very into failing morale saves.

Remove Fear.

(Honestly, Bard song seems like one of the worst implemented features in BG. Does it give anything at all? I never noticed much of a benefit with it on. Supposedly it gives morale boosts, but my characters very rarely, if ever, get feared or lose their morale.)

[ThiagoMartell]

7 hours and a half until it is released!!

[Muz]

So, um, does anyone know how to actually START the game? I preloaded it, it's now post-release, but I still just get the thing giving me BG news and saying "preload complete."

[Morty]

I can play it now. I'm making a Human Fighter for now, to see how it all looks.
EDIT: Well, how it works is that it lags for some reason. Cinematics turn into slideshows with glitchy sound.