Baldur's Gate: The Thread

[Cespenar]

Meh, the game doesn't require that much optimization anyway.

[Kish]

Yeah, I'm boggled that someone who apparently uses the nonmodded final ToB battle feels the need to do that kind of number-crunching.

(Also unclear on why the archer, whether the PC or a hacked Valygar, didn't have Whirlwind. So.)

[J-H]

Whirlwind only applies to melee attacks, at least per the description...

[Kish]

Does it? I don't know where my copy of the manual is.

Whether the manual inaccurately says "melee only" or you're basing this on "allows the warrior to unleash a flurry of super-fast blows," what actually describes the ability's in-game effect is when it says "sets one's number of attacks per round to 10."

[Seharvepernfan]

FWIW, I started over again with a CG Half-Orc Barbarian... Str 19, Dex 17, Con 19 (now 20), Int 10, Wis 10, and Charisma 18 (now 19).

Good lord, at 6th level, he's a BEAST.

Yep, half-orcs dominate BG1. My half-orc beserker was literally unstoppable. Solo'd the game with him, almost no challenge. He even beat drizzt on his second try in a straight-up fight.

[CMY187]

There is an ongoing Baldur's Gate fanfiction which I have fallen in love with; Aegis of Candlekeep:

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/661174/Kyn

The series is currently at 3 parts with a total of 134 chapters and at over 704,000 words.

I highly recommend giving it a read. Excellent characterization and dialogue, and damn well-written action scenes (the climax of Part 2 is nothing short of amazing)

Also, it does not restrict itself to 5 party members; the maximum number of party members so far is 10 for AoC Part 1 and 11 for AoC Part 2.
Also, there are romantic relationships that are developed in the series that are incredibly well-written; I'll bet none of ye thought that a Xzar romance could be possible/believable.

Along with the unrestricted number of party members, the series takes some great turns in terms of the story; Gorion does not stay dead after he is killed by Sarevok (not a spoiler since he's mentioned in the short-summary for Part 3), and has his own plot-line and backstory, the latter of which is told mainly in flashbacks, which also greatly built up the main villain of the series, Bhaal the Lord of Murder, and serves as a backdrop to the current timeline with the protagonist Aegis.

So far, my pick for the best chapter in the series is Chapter 31 of Part 2, while my personal favourite is Chapter 47 of Part 2.

Serious, funny, epic, horrifying, heart-warming, it really runs the gamut of emotions. (In regards to horrifying, Chapter 5 of Part 3. You've been warned)
Fanfiction usually ranges from terrible to mediocre, but sometimes you find a few rare gems amongst all the dirt.

A side-note regarding the AoC fanfiction series:
The author stated that when she started it in 2009, she did not have most of the storylines and character developments planned, and stopped writing the series at around the first 7 to 10 chapters of Part 1. She resumed writing it in Feb 2014, this time armed with planning and preparations for the plot and characters.

I am currently reviewing every single chapter of the series (currently at Chapter 58 of Part 2). I'm just wired that way. Fanfiction writers put up their stories for free and their only reward is reviews, so I usually try to say more in a review than just 'Great. I like it. More please'.

To share characters role-played in RPGs, here are the character summaries for my two favourite PCs in Baldur's Gate and in Dragon Age: Origins-Awakening, displayed in my ff.net profile:

https://www.fanfiction.net/~cmy187

Currently working on the character summary for my favourite Dragon Age 2 PC. She's Chaotic Evil (not Chaotic Stupid or Stupid Evil)

[Sylthia]

Just started my first Evil character, or at least I intend for it to be.

Made a Lawful Evil Half-Orc Kensai specced into 2Handed Swords.

[Shekinah]

Just started my first Evil character, or at least I intend for it to be.

Made a Lawful Evil Half-Orc Kensai specced into 2Handed Swords.

Now I wanna make an evil Baldur's Gate character. I think I will.

Never mind, Steam doesn't want me to.

[J-H]

Thanks. I enjoyed the one about Irenicus' redemption (don't recall name, stalled around chapter 60).

Adrian, Spawn of Bhaal, was probably my favorite. He ends up working for the Zhents, and Imoen ends up as some type of ice mage working for the Harpers.


It's been a while since I've played through BG2. After beating TOB with almost every possible party combo, and soloing SOA with every class type (but not every kit) I have a hard time figuring out what to do next.

Still, I did get surprised a couple of years ago with some dialogue that I didn't even know existed. 10+ years later and the game still has bits I haven't seen.

[Sylthia]

Kelsey seems to be broken again, instead of his name, it's showing dialogue again. I might just dump him, since the NPC mods never seem to want to work correctly. A pity the EE doesn't have any Sorcerer NPCs.

[Inarius]

I've tried making an evil char but I never seem to get far with them. I think my last attempt was a blackguard 5 or 6 months ago. Got to level 5 and sort of lost interest in it.

[Sylthia]

I've tried making an evil char but I never seem to get far with them. I think my last attempt was a blackguard 5 or 6 months ago. Got to level 5 and sort of lost interest in it.

I just always tend to play Good with any game that offers that sort of thing. It just sort of seems wrong to me to try to be Evil. I've just played Good so many times in BG that I want to try it out.

[Feytalist]

I always play Neutral. With games that allow alignment shifts, it's always fun to see where you end up. Even though, in my case, it usually ends up as NG or equivalent.

And even in games like Baldur's Gate, the rare cases where the "evil" option gets the better reward, I have no conflict of alignment.

[LibraryOgre]

I was going through with a human Kensai, with the plan to become a Druid in BG2 (maybe about 13th level?), but switched over to the scary powerhouse that is a half-orc barbarian (currently with a 21 Charisma, thanks to a nymph cloak).

[J-H]

Why high Charisma? Other than the shop discount and a very few minor conversations, it has zero effect on the game.

[Winthur]

Why high Charisma? Other than the shop discount and a very few minor conversations, it has zero effect on the game.

It manages to have a bigger effect on the game than Intelligence. So, probably "just because" is a good answer.

[Sylthia]

Why high Charisma? Other than the shop discount and a very few minor conversations, it has zero effect on the game.

There's a ring that you can get pretty early, in BG2 that gives you auto-18 Charisma, so might as well give it to your protagonist.

[LibraryOgre]

Why high Charisma? Other than the shop discount and a very few minor conversations, it has zero effect on the game.

Because I like it. I like the "able to get a +1 dagger in Candlekeep", and the idea that this barbarian is simply insanely charismatic despite being staggeringly destructive amused me.

It's like playing Conan.

[Seharvepernfan]

Because I like it. I like the "able to get a +1 dagger in Candlekeep",

I'm the same way. I'm doing a (mostly) canon run. Instead of Minsc and Dynaheir, I took Kivan and Xan. I have all my favorite portraits in one party, and it's a pretty well-balanced group. I was trying not to optimize stats too much, though still letting myself have a high total because I'm a freakin bhaalspawn main character (18/60, 7, 18, 9, 17, 18), but It's still a total cakewalk. My point being, I dumped dex to boost cha, even though I have imoen in the party, just because that's what I wanted (and to get those early game bonuses like the dagger and antidotes).

Sidenote: That damn star sapphire in the inn; you have to be a raging max-str barbarian or a halfling with maxed open lock to get the damn thing. Your guy would have been one of two classes (if you maxed cha) that could get both.

There was a discussion on 4chan about what charname is intended to be, gamecanon. I said human fighter dualing into cleric, using warhammers and shields, with that "human paladin" picture. For one, it matches charnames background fairly well; train under the watchers, and be a priest (it would make more sense going priest first, but that's terribly unoptimized). Two, Imoen is a female human who goes from thief to mage, so the two of you are like a two-person party in that respect.

Also, being a fighter to begin with is a good idea, because they're easily the best class for most of the game. You're drowning in health potions early on, and with one party healer (like jaheira) and your own innate healing powers, you can survive the early game easily without a second healer. By the time you dual, the rest of the party should be able to pick up the slack, and you can start buffing and healing them yourself. So, to me at least, it all fits. Also, the best hammer can be had almost immediately (and in BG2, you'll be just about the most worthy user of the best weapon).

I'm going to dual at 6th, but if I play BG2, I'll remake him so that I can dual at 13th.

[CMY187]

I personally always find it more interesting and immersive to role-play an Evil protagonist-character than a Good one.

An Evil character does not always have to be a Tommy DeVito-Goodfellas-ish psychopath, or share Sarevok's lust for power.
My favourite type of Evil character is the one whom other characters (and in some cases the audience/viewer/reader) don't even realize he is Evil or are usually persuaded by him to tolerate or condone his actions; the manipulative person who preys on the emotional weaknesses of his peers to bend or ease them towards his wishes.
In-game for Baldur's Gate, this kind of PC could work and get along with Good characters, and have context for maintaining a moderate-to-high reputation.

Also, while I have nothing against the Fighter class, I always prefer 'weaker' protagonists over 'badass' ones. I actually LIKE characters who, in terms of power/skill level, can easily defend themselves against ordinary people or soldiers, but against multiple decent opponents or well-trained individuals, they are in trouble; which forces them to be smart, use what they have and can grab, and the surrounding environment to gain an advantage. And fight dirty.
'Never look a man in the eye if you can shoot him in the back.'

Of the several PCs I had for Baldur's Gate, my favourite is my Neutral Evil dwarf thief, who is far from the stereotype of the axe/hammer-wielding, heavily-armoured dwarf.

(WARNING: The following is a VERY needlessly long and overly-detailed character sheet that will surely fluster/annoy any DM...)

Name: Dorean (Dor-Ree-Ann)
Male/Dwarf/Thief/Neutral Evil Type 1, aka Pragmatic Evil

Str 12 / Dex 18 / Con 17 / Int 13 / Wis 14 / Cha 15

Preferred companions in BG1: Imoen, Kagain, Viconia, Montaron, Xzar
Preferred companions in BG2: Imoen, Korgan, Viconia, Jaheira, Nalia

Age (at the start of BG1): 39 (Found and adopted by Gorion at age 19)

Skin Colour: Light brown.

Height: 4 feet. Kagain, Yeslick and Korgan are all taller than him.

Weight: 130 pounds. Kagain, Yeslick and Korgan are all heavier than him.

Physique: Thinner than the average dwarf, though not by much; he still has a noticeable swell in his belly. A majority of his weight is below the waistline. His legs, thighs and feet are slightly larger and his arms, hands and fingers are smaller than that of the average dwarf. This often results in him needing to be more precise in choosing armour designed for dwarves.
Dorean's regular exercise focuses on his legs, granting him speed and agility while neglecting upper body strength. As a result, his walking and running pace is a match for any healthy human and he can leap up high enough to stab or slash at a human's neckline. Many a hostile had fallen prey to a much-practiced technique of Dorean's, taught to him by Montaron; leap onto the target's back, one hand covering the target's mouth while the knife-hand stabs down into the carotid artery, quickly shift his own body weight so the target slowly keels over backwards, then place his own feet on the ground and gently move the body down so it could be dragged away or simply left.

Face shape: Square from crown to jaw-line.

Hair (Chestnut brown): Shoulder length, not too long. Regularly tied into a small bun using a barrette or hair sticks. Not a single strand is allowed near his eyes. When sleeping indoors in relative comfort and safety, it is usually tied in a ponytail. Dorean chose to grow his hair to this specific length and use the bun hairstyle because his own self-made barrettes and hair sticks can be used as improvised lock-picks.

Beard/Facial Hair: Aware that the twitches and other movements of a person's mouth could give away his emotions, Dorean keeps a full, thick beard that extends down to his sternum along with a thick moustache; his lips cannot be seen even if he grins widely. The beard can be tucked into his shirt or armour if necessary.
Having seen drawings of dwarves from the Candlekeep libraries, he keeps the beard as dwarvenly-generic as possible; not too long or short, no braids or decorations or perfume or oil, nothing whatsoever to draw attention to it.
Unlike most dwarves, Dorean has little investment and no pride in the appearance of his beard; the only reason he keeps it at all is because he knows that a beardless dwarf is more likely to draw attention.

Nose: Large and hooked with wide nostrils. The size may or may not contribute to his keen sense of smell which could rival that of a halfling. The nose is his most distinguishing facial feature, of which he is very much aware of. Imoen has a tendency to poke it whenever they get snippy or annoyed at each other.

Ears: Large and tilted. Large helixes, small earlobes. No piercings.

Eyes: Gray. Deep Set. Separated quite a distance from each other due to his large nose.

Accent: His upbringing in Candlekeep resulted in him losing whatever accent he would have had if he had been raised in a dwarven family, although he can still use it convincingly if he needs to (He usually says 'You', not 'Ye') and he is capable of eloquent speech. However, if one listens carefully, there is still a trace of a lisp that could link him to Mithral Hall.

Clothing: Dorean's favourite colour is yellow, although he generally wears dark green or gray. He usually lets his hood down unless he needs to obscure his face.
Given his smaller arms/larger legs stature, finding and choosing the right armour often takes patience, time and money. Dorean has little to no skill in this matter (yes, a dwarf who knows next to nothing about smithing) and usually referred to Montaron and Kagain for help.

Preferred weapons: Dagger and crossbow. Despite having trained in the quarterstaff and short bow in Candlekeep, Dorean generally avoids using them; he is bad at the short bow and despite being able to wield quarterstaffs, he simply doesn't have the proper height to use anything other than a custom quarterstaff and even then not effectively in combat (how can dwarves use quarterstaffs effectively anyway?). He also does not like short swords despite their longer reach than daggers; due to his short height and reach, his general rule in melee is to get in close.
More so than the dagger, he is very well-versed in the crossbow, in standard shooting, close-quarters and in reloading; he can reload one while running. Hostiles have fallen to a crossbow bolt from point-blank range after chasing a fleeing Dorean for a short distance.

Background and Psych Profile
Growing up in Candlekeep, he learnt that trust and loyalty pay off better than fear and intimidation, and quickly became a skilled manipulator. Half-truths are always more convincing and effective than outright lies. Learn of the likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses of the people around you, and use them to benefit yourself long-term. Know whether it is best to openly appear to be someone's friend or enemy. Machiavelli would have been one of his favourite philosophers.
Maintains a moderate reputation (10-11) so as not to antagonize the local authorities and civilians but also to prevent being ostracized from dubious groups such as the Thieves Guild. He steals from people without compunction, but refrains from assaulting them or law enforcement as "leaving corpses are messy" and "bad for business and publicity". He usually attempts to win the good graces of the local law enforcement in various towns and cities by taking on bounties on wanted men and such. However, he also willingly works with shysters and even murderers if it benefits him, although he distances himself from evil beings such as succubi and demons due to their treacherous nature. If he sees an opportunity to manipulate someone into becoming his ally, he will consider it.
Should it become necessary to do so, he will not hesitate to commit evil acts (executing a captive to win favour with the captors, murdering an innocent guard or civilian to prevent him from raising the alarm, etc), so long as he feels that he can avoid or withstand the consequences and repercussions. Almost never commits evil or good acts just for the sake of them. Shuns concepts like "revenge" or "sadism", although he will pretend to uphold them if doing so serves his purposes. Pragmatic Villain through and through. He only ever betrays a person whom he had a previous agreement or contract with if he deduces that it would be more long-term beneficial to do so, if the person forces him to, or if he does not trust the person to uphold their end of the agreement.
Dorean can be classified as a sociopath; he understands and acknowledges feelings and emotions like empathy, remorse, guilt, compassion, altruism, etc, but rather than having such feelings himself, he sees them in others and uses them to his benefit. He is perfectly capable of committing seemingly good, selfless, kind and compassionate actions, but he always has a self-serving motivation, underlying or otherwise, for most of his actions and decisions.
Ultimately, Dorean would be True Neutral if it were not for his lack of remorse, guilt and hesitation in committing evil actions and his self-serving nature which dictates most of his decisions.
His only two life-goals:
1) Learn about his mysterious and unknown past, both of his father and his mother.
2) Survive.

Stat Explanations:

Strength of 12
If he removes his pack and armour, he could perform feats such as lifting a large rock or wield a two-handed axe or maul. However, he would not be able to carry such loads over long distances. He's a rogue, not a warrior.

Dexterity of 18
His most outstanding stat and the one he relies the most on. Very fast, nimble and agile; his main policy in combat is to avoid getting hit. By the time he left Candlekeep, Dorean was highly skilled and talented in pick-pocketing, lock-picking, sleight of hand (Imoen: "Never play cards or dice with him, he'll cheat. Unless you're a better cheater or a VERY sore loser."), hiding with use of shadows and hiding spots, shop-lifting (Winthrop did not approve of Dorean using his shop to practice, although the dwarf always returned what he stole and then request that he increase the shop's security) and the use of his favourite weapon, the crossbow.
Being a highly dextrous person already, and with tutelage and training from Montaron, Dorean would become skilled in sneak attacking, trap detecting/finding/disabling/setting, and the use of the dagger, both in stealth-killing and in fighting (key strike points such as the carotid artery, jugular vein, brachial artery and subclavian artery, weak points in armour, different techniques against different races like humans, ogres, halflings, etc)
Through self-training and reading, Dorean became a skilled thief, while Montaron's training and tutelage would make him a skilled assassin and rogue.

Constitution of 17
As a dwarf, he was born with natural toughness and fortitude; daily exercise and physical training greatly increased and maintained it. Dorean is easily able to tolerate bad food and drink, which has often resulted in him being criticized for his poor taste in food; he would order the worst dishes on a menu simply because it was cheap.
While not invulnerable to poisons, they would require a longer time to take effect on him due to his strong immune system, which Gorion since his early teenhood and later Imoen during their adventures would help him build up through exposure to small amounts. Marek poisoning him would encourage him to keep it up despite the self-administered poisons often making him feel ill.
Dorean's discipline in maintaining a high Constitution can also be attributed to one of his only long-term goals; to visit the homelands of the gold dwarves in search of answers to his past. Thus, he would build up his stamina in anticipation of traversing mountains. Combined with his High Dexterity, he can move quickly and for a long time without tiring or slowing, and it would take a particularly strong hit to make him flinch.

Intelligence of 13
Most of the ideas and strategies that Dorean may think of or come up with, he would have read or heard of, or been taught.
Dorean, at his core, is the classic version of a thief; pickpocket and burglar. There really is nothing remarkable or unique about how he goes about doing it, just that he is very good at it.
If he is targeting a person for pickpocketing, he would do it like any other average pickpocket would: follow the target, note his general awareness, how secure his personal items are, any bodyguards, etc, and wait for an opportune moment. What makes him distinctive is that he is very good at pickpocketing someone without them realizing it, even if their items are quite secure.
If he is targeting a house for burglary, he would do it like any other average burglar would: Scout out the house, note down guards, security measures, entry and exit points, and then simply go in at an opportune time. What makes him distinctive is that he can sneak through a house, open/close creaky doors, pick rusty locks, gather and carry valuables without alerting people mere feet away.
Dorean is well-read, educated and can plan and strategize, but is mostly unreliable when being resourceful or unorthodox, or quickly having brilliant ideas or flashes of insight is required. He is a skilled thief and later assassin, but is no Danny Ocean (from the Ocean's 11 movie). If you need to concoct an elaborate, complex and multi-faceted heist, he's the wrong guy to go to. His plan As and Bs are mostly standard, albeit usually well-executed, but if they both fail, he'll be in trouble. He is bright and a good learner, but he's no genius by any stretch of the imagination.

Wisdom of 14
This is wholly because of Gorion. The man recognized the inherent sociopathy and lack of empathy in his adopted son early on, and most of his 20 years with Dorean was spent teaching and schooling him in perceiving, understanding and ultimately considering the feelings, needs and wants of others as well as himself, thus teaching Dorean to be empathetic.
This is the main reason and driving point of Dorean growing up to become an extremely cautious and pragmatic person, as well as a factor in him learning to be manipulative. Ulraunt would blame Gorion's teachings and influence for this, stating that they only made the dwarf even worse than he would have been if he had not been adopted by the man. He may not be completely wrong; on the one hand, Dorean did become a smarter and sharper operative as well as more observant and manipulative, thus becoming a better thief and killer. On the other hand, who knows how many peoples' lives were saved because Dorean knew when to hold back, or how many people he helped because he could understand their feelings and thus decide to earn their goodwill and gratitude (albeit for self-serving reasons).
Thanks to Gorion, Dorean became the kind of person who prefers to avoid or minimize casualties among civilians and law enforcement as well as earn their good-will, and also to always try to talk rather than fight if possible, if nothing else than to gain information that may help him if things turn hostile (most of Dorean's chosen dialogue in-game is to question motives and methods rather than to give emotional reactions or declarations). The dwarf did not grow up to become a wanton or sadistic murderer, and he recognizes and understands feelings and emotions in others (a major reason for why he is able to relatively get along with Good and Neutral companions). His higher-than-average Wisdom and Charisma factors greatly into his capability as a leader. Ultimately, however, he uses what Gorion taught him mainly to serve and protect himself, not others, and if for pragmatic reasons he does have to cause harm to innocents, he will neither hesitate nor feel any guilt or remorse. He has no compunctions about committing crimes such as murder, robbery and slavery, but knows when and why he should not do such things, and only do so if there would be little to no consequences or if he has no other choice.

Charisma of 15
Being brought up by Gorion and educated in Candlekeep as well as a fondness for reading resulted in Dorean becoming, surprisingly for a dwarf, eloquent and well-spoken.
He is also an effective liar and manipulator. "Tell the truth as much as you can, except where it counts; half-truths are always better than outright lies. Don't hide the truth, bend and twist it."
While he prefers to rely on his Dexterity and remain unseen, if the occasion calls for it, he can hide in plain sight and bluff, using fake accents and identities. He can also negotiate and haggle, although he struggles in this aspect with more strong-willed individuals. His above-average Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma makes Dorean an all-round effective operative and leader.
Also, he's a very good singer.

Rejects the voice of Bhaal in his dreams, refusing to submit to the will of his biological father. Not on any moral grounds, but in his steadfastness to lead his own life and destiny, as Gorion taught him. Faces and defeats Sarevok in the Temple of Bhaal in the Undercity, disdainfully claiming that for all his power, the man is a fool to allow himself to be a pawn of a god.

...yes, I know, that is FAR too much detail for a character sheet. I blame the author of the Baldur's Gate fanfiction series 'Aegis of Candlekeep' for making me more invested into my own role-playing.
Thanks to her, I now see every single D&D stat of characters as a means to help shape and write their personalities and characters, not just their in-game abilities.

I wouldn't mind if someone remakes the Baldur's Gate games into a more Dragon Age:Origins-ish manner for the companions; you can recruit everyone, but only have a certain number with you on the field at a time, and can have interactions and conversations with all of them.

[J-H]

I've found that the single most powerful PC character to play is a multiclass Ranger/Cleric. You get all the melee goodies (whirlwind) of a Ranger, and rangers have access to the entire Druid spell list... so you fight as a top-tier melee class, but have access to the nice druid spells (Creeping Doom, Insect Swarm, Ironskin, etc.) as well as all the cleric spells. At medium to high levels, you actually have better druid casting than a druid because you don't suffer from the 1.5M-3M level gap.

Wizards can pump out more damage thanks to Improved Alacrity, the Robe of Vecna, and the Amulet of Power, but a few of the final enemies are immune to Time Stop and tend to walk over and deliver a beatdown while everything else is frozen.

[Calemyr]

I've found that the single most powerful PC character to play is a multiclass Ranger/Cleric. You get all the melee goodies (whirlwind) of a Ranger, and rangers have access to the entire Druid spell list... so you fight as a top-tier melee class, but have access to the nice druid spells (Creeping Doom, Insect Swarm, Ironskin, etc.) as well as all the cleric spells. At medium to high levels, you actually have better druid casting than a druid because you don't suffer from the 1.5M-3M level gap.

Wizards can pump out more damage thanks to Improved Alacrity, the Robe of Vecna, and the Amulet of Power, but a few of the final enemies are immune to Time Stop and tend to walk over and deliver a beatdown while everything else is frozen.

Not in BG2EE, I'm afraid. They found a fix to it when they did Icewind Dale and implemented it in BG2EE. Now it doesn't add all the spells to the spell list and rely on your spell slots to limit your casting. Cleric rangers can only cast the ranger spells they're allowed to by level now.

But that's only BG2EE. BG2 doesn't have that problem, of course.

[Sylthia]

Not in BG2EE, I'm afraid. They found a fix to it when they did Icewind Dale and implemented it in BG2EE. Now it doesn't add all the spells to the spell list and rely on your spell slots to limit your casting. Cleric rangers can only cast the ranger spells they're allowed to by level now.

But that's only BG2EE. BG2 doesn't have that problem, of course.

Is there a mod to unfix that?

[Calemyr]

Is there a mod to unfix that?

Not aware of any, but then it's been a while since my last modding frenzy. (And since I favor my phone for the game, I can't use mods that modify the talk file.)

There is a caveat, however. I think, anyway. BG1 does NOT have this fix, or at least it didn't last time I checked. There's little point to adding the fix since you're barely going to get spellcasting at all as a ranger, right? Except that spell list carries over if you jump a character from BG1 to BG2. So a Trilogy C/R gets the omnicasting* while a BG2 original does not.

* Well, except for spells that aren't in BG1, but it's got virtually all the assets of BG2, so there aren't many if any.

[Inarius]

You dont need a mod to change it back though there are several mods that do it. There's a setting in the baldur.ini file to change the spell list back to what it was pre patch.

[Sylthia]

You dont need a mod to change it back though there are several mods that do it. There's a setting in the baldur.ini file to change the spell list back to what it was pre patch.

I guess you could always Shadow Keeper it back in as well, but that seems more like cheating to me than other ways. My current Ranger/Cleric is from BG1, so I think I'm okay, and I tend to play a different class each playthrough anyway, so I guess it won't affect me personally.

[Shekinah]

It's kind of weird having 3-4 romances going simultaneously with all the mod NPCs.

[Sylthia]

I think the person who made the kickstarter NPC plays BG2, since it looks a bit like Veldrin, the name you take when you go undercover in the Underdark.

[Sylthia]

Beamdog's going to be releasing Baldur's Gate 1.5 later this year.

[Morty]

At this point I get the feeling that they should just let this game rest in peace...