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

[LibraryOgre]

Buy some protection from poison scrolls. And maybe a potion of sizable giant strength, for carrying wyvern parts.

[Lector87]

Buy some protection from poison scrolls. And maybe a potion of sizable giant strength, for carrying wyvern parts.

...what am I going to do with wyvern parts?

[LibraryOgre]

...what am I going to do with wyvern parts?

Sell them to the Morninglord in Beregost.

[Lector87]

Sell them to the Morninglord in Beregost.

A wise man can hear profit in the wind.

[Lector87]

Cloakwood Lodge (AR2200) Cleared!

Spoiler: it was like the Witcher civil war thing all over again I hated both sides

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So Mr. Aldeth did not make a favorable impression, and the dialogue option to side with the druids was hilarious - but the option to side with Aldeth at least suggested that the hero is trying to come to a peaceful resolution and sort things out, which fits the whole LG Paladin thing a lot better.

Too bad Druids are a no better than IRRATIONAL ANIMALS.

Spoiler: we could have settled this like CIVILIZED men but NO

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See if I ever hug a tree again.

[Triaxx]

I shall hug it with my SWORD!

[Lector87]

[Lector87]

Cloakwood Nest (AR2100) Cleared!

Spoiler: nightmare fuel

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Spoiler: arachnaphobia

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Cloakwood Druids (AR1600) Cleared!

Spoiler: stinkin hippies

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Cloakwood Wyverns (AR1700) Cleared!

Spoiler: most of these things were dead before I even got here, honest!

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Cloakwood Mines (AR1800) Cleared!

Spoiler: ALWAYS kill the mouthy ones

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[Triaxx]

I love that conversation. Especially since I usually follow it up with a hasted berserker and his rodent.

[Lector87]

I love that conversation. Especially since I usually follow it up with a hasted berserker and his rodent.

Butt-kicking for goodness!

Some of the NPC interactions in the Mine itself are golden.

[LibraryOgre]

Cloakwood Nest (AR2100) Cleared!

Spoiler: nightmare fuel

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Does anyone remember if she referenced Irenicus in the original version?

EDIT: Looked it up. Previously, it was Jon Icarus.

[Lector87]

Does anyone remember if she referenced Irenicus in the original version?

EDIT: Looked it up. Previously, it was Jon Icarus.

Ahh, Irenicus. I think he must be my very favorite game villain. He makes Sarevok and Amelyssan look like cardboard cut-outs in comparison.

[CoyoteBlue]

Um, have you died yet?

[Lector87]

Um, have you died yet?

Oh yes, 16 times. I'm keeping a running tally. It's definitely not a no-death run.

[LibraryOgre]

So, a bit of an odd optimization question:

What build will make you 100% immune to the most things, permanently? I.E. through class abilities and equipment, how much can you be immune to, in a way that can't be dispelled?

[J-H]

You can get Magic Immunity in the 80-100 range, depending on your class (anyone with UAI can do better).
10% Ring of Gaxx
10% Amulet
10% Tear of Bhaal
5% Machine of Lum the Mad
30% Purifier or 10% Sword of Balduran or 5% Flail of the Ages +5
10% Robe of Vecna
20% Human Flesh Leather (AC 3, but gives +4 to all saves)

I run non-EE with some mods, and one of the mods (SCS? don't recall) adds a touch lich fight in the docks with the Cloak of Balduran (+25% magic resist).

Put that on a Barbarian and you can pair it with 20% resistance to physical damage, upped to 40% if you dual-wield the Defender of Easthaven flail. An evil Dwarf barbarian with the above items also ends up being able to save on a -8 against most things, making him pass throws on anything but a 1, even if hit with Doom & Greater Malison.
As a solo character, he's still a bit lacking once you get into ToB.

A Thief/Mage can UAI to get hefty magic immunity, and then pair that with a Tear for immunity to +1 and lower weapons, and then put Protection from Energy and Protection from Magical Weapons to near-immunity to everything, but only for short periods of time. I am not certain if MR will protect against Dispel. Some type of Rage ability is still required to resist Maze and a few other MR:No effects.

[Lector87]

Cloakwood Mines (AR1801, 1804, 1802, and 1803) Cleared!

Spoiler: well, that was a workout

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Spoiler: you have the best conversations in this line of work

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Spoiler: and it's on to chapter 5 and the Big BG!

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Areas Cleared: 50
Chapter Number: 5
Character Level: 8
Death Tally: 16
Kill Count: 1114
Most Powerful Vanquished: Greater Basilisk

[Triaxx]

We don't need a reason we're here to kill you is probably my second favorite pre-fight quote of BG1.

[Lector87]

Minor note - I think I'll put the running status update at the bottom of the latest post whenever I've cleared an area or otherwise gotten past a major hurdle, rather than in the first post in the thread, unless anybody really prefers it the other way.

[Lector87]

Wyrm's Crossing (AR0900), Farmlands (AR0400), E Baldur's Gate (AR0800), and SE Baldur's Gate (AR1300) Cleared!

Spoiler: time to paint the town RED...with JUSTICE

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Lady Gerd is currently scouring the Baldur's Gate Docks, which includes traipsing right up the stairs of the Iron Throne and doing battle with the false Emissary Tar, Aasim, Alai, Diyab, Naaman, Zhalimar Cloudwulfe and Gardush. They got her with a Hold spell on the first go around, so Gerd resorted to a potion of storm giant strength, a potion of speed, and running up and down the stairs to aggro 1 or 2 at a time. And she is now the proud owner of a huge tower full of terrified dupes and corpses. Oh, and THIS!

Spoiler: Thanks, Edventar!

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And the ring still let's you use speed!

..uh, I mean, speed potions! POTIONS!

Don't do drugs kids.

Areas Cleared: 54
Chapter Number: 5
Character Level: 8
Death Tally: 17
Kill Count: 1146
Most Powerful Vanquished: Greater Basilisk

[Lector87]

Along the way, Gerd heroically foiled a burglary!

Spoiler: some people have NO RESPECT for PRIVATE PROPERTY

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And totally put a stop to, um, whatever was going on here!

Spoiler: some people just CAN'T HANDLE a CIVIL DISCUSSION of the NATURE of PROPERTY

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Did I mention she bought half the potion stock at Sorcerous Sundries?

[LibraryOgre]

So, I finished SoA, and started porting characters in, as one does at the beginning of ToB... and all the neat items I left them with are gone. My choices are either to go back before I killed Irenicus OR start the whole damn thing over.

Because I am a masochist, I am sincerely considering restarting at BG1... possibly importing my character from the end of BG1 in, just to walk through things.

[Lector87]

So, I finished SoA, and started porting characters in, as one does at the beginning of ToB... and all the neat items I left them with are gone. My choices are either to go back before I killed Irenicus OR start the whole damn thing over.

Because I am a masochist, I am sincerely considering restarting at BG1... possibly importing my character from the end of BG1 in, just to walk through things.

Ugh, I hate that.

I couldn't successfully migrate my Mass Effect file from 1 to 2, so I just shrugged and rolled a new character...and found out that if you don't bring in your character (and his/her decisions) from the first game, the second game plays out as if you made pretty much all the *worst* decisions. I get encouraging people to play the whole series, but that seemed a bit too punishing.

[Lector87]

Haven't had much time to play, what with the iron shortage and all, but Lady Gerd has finished exploring the Baldur's Gate Docks and SW Baldur's Gate (AR1200 and AR1100)

Spoiler: SO MANY DOPPELGANGERS

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Areas Cleared: 56

[Lector87]

Let it never be said that Lady Gerd is a mere bloodthirsty brute. She is also capable of HIGH CUNNING.

Spoiler: Batman-level mind games

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[Lector87]

My gaming schedule has gone decidedly wobbly, and I don't have the time to go into a lot of detail, but the playthrough IS carrying on!

Lady Gerd explored a bit more of Baldur's Gate (including the sewers), returned to Candlekeep, was accused of murder, and escaped through the Catacombs.

Since it looks like the plot is drawing to its close, she's now headed off to Durlag's Tower, which she'll explore top to bottom before heading over to Ulgoth's Beard.

Surface and upper levels cleared:

Spoiler: effortlessly eliding over some really well-written lore

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Looks like I've missed a way to get up on the tower roof. I'll go looking for it next time.

Predictably, my first death was to a trap, on level 1 of the labyrinth. Wasn't being careful to keep my health at max - I'll not make that mistake again!

DEATH TALLY: 18

[danzibr]

Enjoying the updates!

Does anyone remember if she referenced Irenicus in the original version?

EDIT: Looked it up. Previously, it was Jon Icarus.

Oh yeah, I remember this. I played BG back in the day, before BG2 was out. I charmed her, talked to her, thought man, that's so cool.

But... turns out it wasn't really used in the sequel. I mean, Jon Irenicus has nothing to do with her that I recall.

Isn't Bodhi also mentioned?

You can get Magic Immunity in the 80-100 range, depending on your class (anyone with UAI can do better).
10% Ring of Gaxx
10% Amulet
10% Tear of Bhaal
5% Machine of Lum the Mad
30% Purifier or 10% Sword of Balduran or 5% Flail of the Ages +5
10% Robe of Vecna
20% Human Flesh Leather (AC 3, but gives +4 to all saves)

I run non-EE with some mods, and one of the mods (SCS? don't recall) adds a touch lich fight in the docks with the Cloak of Balduran (+25% magic resist).

Put that on a Barbarian and you can pair it with 20% resistance to physical damage, upped to 40% if you dual-wield the Defender of Easthaven flail. An evil Dwarf barbarian with the above items also ends up being able to save on a -8 against most things, making him pass throws on anything but a 1, even if hit with Doom & Greater Malison.
As a solo character, he's still a bit lacking once you get into ToB.

A Thief/Mage can UAI to get hefty magic immunity, and then pair that with a Tear for immunity to +1 and lower weapons, and then put Protection from Energy and Protection from Magical Weapons to near-immunity to everything, but only for short periods of time. I am not certain if MR will protect against Dispel. Some type of Rage ability is still required to resist Maze and a few other MR:No effects.

Sweet.

This reminds me, I'm about to do my first playthrough of BGEE and was thinking of using mods. I modded the heck out of BGII, but never did the original with mods.

Any suggestions? Or should I not hijack the thread?

[Lector87]

Any suggestions? Or should I not hijack the thread?

Hijack away! General discussion of the game and your own playthroughs are totally welcome.

[danzibr]

Hijack away! General discussion of the game and your own playthroughs are totally welcome.

Haha, thanks!

Originally I was thinking to play unmodded, but make 4 of the characters. But then I saw a mod which lets you pick kits for the PC's. Highly tempting.

[Kish]

So, I finished SoA, and started porting characters in, as one does at the beginning of ToB... and all the neat items I left them with are gone. My choices are either to go back before I killed Irenicus OR start the whole damn thing over.

Because I am a masochist, I am sincerely considering restarting at BG1... possibly importing my character from the end of BG1 in, just to walk through things.

I'm not following what happened. You finished Shadows of Amn with characters other than the ones you planned to use in Throne of Bhaal? Or you're soloing through both Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal but thought it would work to use NPCs as mules to carry equipment from SoA into ToB?