Baldur's Gate Solo Cavalier Run - Advice and Discussion Welcome!

[Triaxx]

When you're sufficiently strong that it can mass explode them.

Evil Clerics can basically charm them, while good ones and Paladin's insta-kill them. Don't know the exact level though.

[Lector87]

When you're sufficiently strong that it can mass explode them.

Evil Clerics can basically charm them, while good ones and Paladin's insta-kill them. Don't know the exact level though.

So far - mass cause flee yes, mass explode no. Apparently handy when you're swarmed by a horde of the bony critters.

[Lector87]

Vampiric wolves!
Basilisks!
NPC's who initiate an inescapable dialogue that leads to insta-death no matter what you choose!

DEATH TALLY: 15

[Lector87]

Gullykin (AR400) Cleared!

Spoiler: finally rewarded for my accidental heroism

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High Hedge (AR3200) Cleared!

Spoiler: yes I took care of the chicken thing

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Red Canyons (AR3700) Cleared!

Spoiler: failed attempt to imitate madman's mother, what else is new

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Shipwreck Coast (AR3100) Cleared!

Spoiler: whole wrecked pirate ship, one ring you immediately give away

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South Beregost Road (AR3800) Cleared!

Spoiler: sinister cave, boring loot

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Temple (AR3400) Cleared!

Spoiler: the vestibule's so featureless, the NPCs joke about it

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Ulcaster and Ulcaster Ruins coming up.

Mutamin's Garden officially on hold until I can find more Mirrored Eyes pots.

[Triaxx]

According to the internet, so take it with the normal grain of salt: You need to be 2 levels higher than the undead to fear it, and 7 levels to insta-kill it. So Skeletons being level 1 means at level 8 they die instantly. Downside, Paladins are considered two levels lower than their actual for the purposes of Turning the Undead.

[LibraryOgre]

In 2e mechanics, Turning Undead is kind of like the priest/paladin rolling a save v. undead... you have a TN, which you need to roll over to succeed. A 1st level cleric is 55/45 on turning Skeletons. At 4th level, a cleric automatically turns skeletons; at 6th level, they automatically destroy skeletons. The best you'll get in turning is level 14 (or higher; 16 for a paladin), when you'll automatically destroy Wraiths and anything up to 6 HD (unless it has its own entry), and automatically turn Mummies and Specters... and be 55/45 on Liches, and 40% chance to turn, no ****, certain "Greater and Lesser Powers"... which might be 2e speak for "Turn Deity"

[Lector87]

In 2e mechanics, Turning Undead is kind of like the priest/paladin rolling a save v. undead... you have a TN, which you need to roll over to succeed. A 1st level cleric is 55/45 on turning Skeletons. At 4th level, a cleric automatically turns skeletons; at 6th level, they automatically destroy skeletons. The best you'll get in turning is level 14 (or higher; 16 for a paladin), when you'll automatically destroy Wraiths and anything up to 6 HD (unless it has its own entry), and automatically turn Mummies and Specters... and be 55/45 on Liches, and 40% chance to turn, no ****, certain "Greater and Lesser Powers"... which might be 2e speak for "Turn Deity"

Eeeexcellent.

The question is - could one expect a solo paladin to hit level 16, say, by the time you get to ToB?

[LibraryOgre]

Eeeexcellent.

The question is - could one expect a solo paladin to hit level 16, say, by the time you get to ToB?

EASILY. I'm in SoA, and Minsc (who hasn't been with me the entire time) is in the 15-16 range.

[Triaxx]

Yeah, remember, you're not sharing the XP out 6-ways, so you'll climb faster than a party would.

[Wraith]

Eeeexcellen Power Dist.

The question is - could one expect a solo paladin to hit level 16, say, by the time you get to ToB?

By the time you finish SoA, assuming you do all the quest lines and the option dungeons and have Throne of Bhaal installed, you can easily expect to be upwards of level 20. I haven't played for a while, but one of my distinct memories of BG2 is that even with a 6-man party, I was throwing around a couple of epic spells and abilities by the time I was fighting Irenicus.
"Final Phase" or not, it sucked to be him when my Sorcerer busted out the +10 Energy Discs and went to town.

Whether or not it'll be relevant though, is a different matter. I don't recall there being a lot of undead in the late game, besides those who are powerful enough to laugh at Turn Undead of any level. Bodhi and Kangaxx, for example.

[Triaxx]

Yeah, but turning Bodhi and friends into a one-on-one is pretty good. Not quite as hilarious as having Viconia flip the Lich in Watcher's Keep and see him blow away his own friends.

[Lector87]

Ulcaster (AR3900) and Ulcaster Ruins (AR3901) Cleared!

Spoiler: spirits of the restless dead yadda yadda

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Spoiler: why are vampiric wolves even a thing

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[Lector87]

So this is my first time actually trying to chronicle a playthrough, and I'm running up against the difficulty (and time commitment) in choosing which screenshots to use, and how often to update.

For those following this thread - is it of sufficient interest if I just post basic updates (areas cleared with map screenshots) and current stats, or are you really curious about how I handled certain quests and NPCs?

Some things in this game are just crying for at least a sarcastic comment, but my personal schedule limits my commitment to HIGH SATIRE.

[LibraryOgre]

So this is my first time actually trying to chronicle a playthrough, and I'm running up against the difficulty (and time commitment) in choosing which screenshots to use, and how often to update.

For those following this thread - is it of sufficient interest if I just post basic updates (areas cleared with map screenshots) and current stats, or are you really curious about how I handled certain quests and NPCs?

Some things in this game are just crying for at least a sarcastic comment, but my personal schedule limits my commitment to HIGH SATIRE.

I'm enjoying it with cleared screens and the occasional comment, myself. I mean, Ulcaster just doesn't have much you can say about it. There aren't any really interesting encounters, just "I went through here and a bunch of stuff died."

DO keep your death count updated.

[tyckspoon]

I wouldn't mind a kind of zoom-in on the things that actually kill you - not all of us have an encyclopedic knowledge of this game's areas and encounters, so a statement like

NPC's who initiate an inescapable dialogue that leads to insta-death no matter what you choose!

Is probably worth a more detailed screenshot or two and/or some extra commentary about the situation.. especially once you reload the game, try the other dialogue choice(s), and find out that it kills you anyways. I'd like to know how you prepped for that to survive it/decided to avoid getting close enough to engage with them/just threw axes at them to initiate combat and kill them before they tried to talk to you.

[Siosilvar]

I wouldn't mind a kind of zoom-in on the things that actually kill you - not all of us have an encyclopedic knowledge of this game's areas and encounters, so a statement like



Is probably worth a more detailed screenshot or two and/or some extra commentary about the situation.. especially once you reload the game, try the other dialogue choice(s), and find out that it kills you anyways. I'd like to know how you prepped for that to survive it/decided to avoid getting close enough to engage with them/just threw axes at them to initiate combat and kill them before they tried to talk to you.

Especially this one; it's a bull**** death even in a normal run-through, since if the main character is leading the party it's an instant game-over even though the killed character is normally brought back by a followup dialogue!

[Lector87]

Especially this one; it's a bull**** death even in a normal run-through, since if the main character is leading the party it's an instant game-over even though the killed character is normally brought back by a followup dialogue!

Oh yes.

For reference, this is an NPC called Shoal in the Shipwreck's Coast area: http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/ar3100.htm.

She automatically runs up to you and starts talking to whoever the lead character is. No matter what dialogue options you choose, it ends in her delivering the "kiss of death", which insta-ends the game not only if you're running solo, but even if you're running with a full party and your main PC is in the lead.

I used throwing axes to kill her before she could get in talking range, after my first kiss of death sent me to the wiki.

[Lector87]

I wouldn't mind a kind of zoom-in on the things that actually kill you - not all of us have an encyclopedic knowledge of this game's areas and encounters, so a statement like



Is probably worth a more detailed screenshot or two and/or some extra commentary about the situation.. especially once you reload the game, try the other dialogue choice(s), and find out that it kills you anyways. I'd like to know how you prepped for that to survive it/decided to avoid getting close enough to engage with them/just threw axes at them to initiate combat and kill them before they tried to talk to you.

And yes, I'll try to at least capture a screenshot of each fatal encounter, and share how I overcame it. I have been writing mostly for those already familiar with the game - going forward I'll try to provide a bit more context for obscure references, even if it's just an image with a brief explanation.

[Lector87]

Beregost (AR3300) Cleared!

Spoiler: rough town

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Got around to exploring the rest of Beregost. Killed some spiders and an assassin or two, and touched base with the lady with a morbid interest in scalps. Also encountered this fine gentleman:

Spoiler: smooth criminal

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Lady Gerd beat him into submission and got him to talk, promising to spare his life, of course...

Spoiler: ever merciful

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...only to have him explode into ludicrous gibs at the conclusion of the conversation.

Spoiler: merciful heavens why

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Coast Way (AR2800) and Larswood (AR2900) Cleared!

Spoiler: tree-to-monster ratio about 1000:1

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In the course of her mad wandering, Lady Gerd recovered from the body of a dead ogre a coupla strange belts she will NOT try on before identifying, and...uh...this?

Spoiler: seriously what

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For all we know, this is the most complex thought an ogre has committed to paper. This may be the only thought an ogre has ever committed to paper. Our good Lady Gerd may have butchered the first, and possibly only, representative of his species who could offer the light of wisdom to his fellow demi-humans, leading them into a new age of peace and harmony.

Oh well.

In the Larswood, she could not resist taking a decidedly un-LG dialogue option:

Spoiler: SPLEENS

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Perhaps the first step on her long, ignominious slide into Blackguard-hood. She's already talking about herself in the first-person plural, actual cannibalism can't be far off.

[Lector87]

Mutamin's Garden (AR3500) and Spider Wood (AR3000) Cleared!

Spoiler: Attercop! Attercop! Down you drop!

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After finding a protection from petrification scroll at the Nashkel Carnival, Lady Gerd again braved Mutamin's Garden, and did battle with the eponymous wacko.

Spoiler: she failed Art Appreciation 101, still senstive about it

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She then cleared out the Spider Wood. Fittingly, there were plenty of spiders. Also, Red Wizards of Thay. Also, THIS jerk:

Spoiler: who uses an unidentified scroll?

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Yeah, it's not like Lady Gerd was going to trust anyone who talked about "karmic essence" anyway.

And we've hit Level 8!

Spoiler: heckyah more lay on hands baby

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Not sure where she'll head next, but I think there are more basilisks in Durlag's Tower, so even though Lady Gerd is in the neighborhood, she'll steer clear until she finds more Protection from Petrification items.

[Triaxx]

North of BG is something Interesting, but I don't recall what.

[Lector87]

Miscellaneous thought:

Isometric games give you a sense of scale that other perspectives just don't, especially when viewing massive structures or monuments. In BG, pulling back and seeing Candlekeep or the Friendly Arm Inn absolutely dwarfing your little character can be awe-inspiring. Only seeing things from a character's POV, or just over their shoulder, might provide its own vistas...but its not quite the same.

Also, it's just a lot easier to design and program cities and fortresses in 2D, so it's easier to make them as big as they, realistically, ought to be.

[Lector87]

Friendly Arm Inn (AR2300), Fishing Village (AR1400), and Peldvale (AR2400) Cleared!

Spoiler: so many ankhegs, so little time

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One minor "complaint" I have about this game is that the most hilarious dialogue options tend to be the ones that lead to violence, or at least preclude further conversation...

Spoiler: but how could I RESIST

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[LibraryOgre]

"Evil" and "Rude" are far too often synonymous in games.

[Lector87]

"Evil" and "Rude" are far too often synonymous in games.

Reminds me of a gripe I have with the Mass Effect games. Sometimes you just wanna punch somebody in the face, or say rough words rather than soft ones, and that decision shouldn't flip an invisible switch that precludes an (unrelated) relationship, or somehow renders you unable to make certain decisions or arguments later in the game. The consequences of dialogue decisions should stem logically from the dialogue itself, not from an invisible, binary good-or-bad karma meter.

That's tangential to what's going on in BG here, of course. Calling somebody stinky, or claiming to be a raving lunatic, quite logically results in your interlocutor declining further dialogue. I just wish there were dialogue options that were hilarious *and* allowed a continued relationship.

[Lector87]

Another game design thought...

If you were making an RPG, would you scatter the map with barrels, boxes, and bags with nothing in them, or nothing of worth?

Personally, I prefer a more minimal design that includes only what is necessary and relevant to the game.

But I realize some people find find having tons of junk all over the place (Elder Scrolls style) to be more realistic and immersive.

[Triaxx]

Depends on the game. I don't mind it when the loot is randomized, but when say only the big chests have stuff, it's not so bad. Elder Scrolls does it to make the world feel 'alive' like people are actually living there, though there's nowhere near enough of everything shoved together in one drawer for my liking.

In BG, I'm okay with it, because some of the things have moderately valuable stuff, or books about the world which I always enjoy. And I also have a near perfect memory of where things are. I do not near perfect, but once I'm in game it all comes back.

[LibraryOgre]

Slight aside: For those who have gone Something//Mage, how useful did you find the (Level*1000) xp in the switch-over? Because I was playing, doing my usual "Have Jan steal everything, then have everyone learn spells", and it occurred to me that a 10th level thief turned mage could shoot up in levels pretty quickly just by stealing a bunch of scrolls before they switched, then changing classes and learning said spells.

[Triaxx]

I've seen it used quite a lot, but I've never abused it myself.

[Lector87]

Bandit Camp (AR1900) Cleared!

Spoiler: remorseless slaughter

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That was a lot of named NPCs to kill!

Spoiler: I'm sure they had complex and meaningful lives before they got gibbed

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The only one to give Lady Gerd much trouble was a berk by the name of Taugosz Khosann. He hit like a truck, and Gerd had a heck of a time landing any hits on him.

Spoiler: the infamous T.K.

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So she downed a potion or two, including an oil of speed...which turned out to be...well...

Spoiler: not FDA approved

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Stupid prank potions. Gave Gerd Confusion, and Mr. Khosann Murder-Hammer beat her into jelly.

DEATH TALLY: 16

So next time, we left the stupid non-potion on the ground for some other sucker to pick up, and downed a bit of heroism and extra strength instead, and that went a lot better.

Spoiler: he still chased me all over the map though

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Cleared out Tazok's tent, though the man himself was not at home. Picked up some vital plot points, and away we go into Chapter 4!

Spoiler: taking care of business

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Next stop, the Cloakwood.