Cursed Gear and Weapon Skill Levels

lothos1103

Hey guys,

Playing the new Enhanced Edition and loving it. At about level 6 or so and finding all kinds of things through the games that I'm searching for answers for though and can't seem to find.

My first question is about Cursed Gear (i.e. Remove Curse will remove the spell). Since I haven't found a chance or way to use that spell on the gear (don't have a person in my group that can do it and the clerics at the temples don't seem to have a way to do it), I wanted to know what the general effect is from using Remove Curse on that item. Is it beneficial or unbeneficial to do so?

My second question is with Skill points I get when I hit certain levels. When he first started out, I had 2 points initially into two weapon fighting and put the other four into Longsword and Shortsword. The next one I got, I wanted to put into Longsword but it wouldn't let me so I put it into Two Weapon Fighting giving me my third point in that area. I just leveled this morning and got my next skill point which I, again, tried to put into Longsword but it wouldn't let me nor would it let me put it into Two Weapon Fighting or Shortsword...so I had to dump it into another random skill I will probably never use (put it into Bastard Sword for S&Gs). My question is why I'm not able to progress further into those areas. At first I thought it was a level restriction but now I'm thinking maybe it's a stat restriction. I'm not sure because I just recently got Kaleid's Longsword to level four no problem...not sure what's going on.

Any help would be great guys! Thanks in advance!

Qidz

Answer for your 1st question: after casting you can remove cursed trash from your inventory slot. This spell doesnt affect statistic of the item. Cursed items are only (there are few exceptions..) sad surprise for player and are totally useless.

For pips in weapon proficiencies: Only fighters and dual classed fighters can add more "weapon points" after specialization (2 points). Its worth to know that multiclassed fighters cant do that, just like rangers, swashbucklers and paladins. For them 2 points is maximum value.

ZanathKariashi

with exception to the cursed belt of giant str (the "penalty" is a joke, and only hurts a mage or bard) and potentially the cursed sword of berserking (if you're careful, you can use it effectively and it's a fairly powerful +3 2hded sword that also grants +1 hit, +3 extra damage while berserk (it uses the same mechanics as Minsc's berserk except it fires off constantly while in combat)), most other cursed items are debilitating and should be thrown out or sold. The belt of Sex-change is more of a joke item then anything really serious and can be kept if you REALLY want.

atcDave

Lothos the Weapon proficiencies are working as they're supposed to. Two pips is the most anyone but a pure fighter can put in any weapon.

toanwrath

atcDave said:

Lothos the Weapon proficiencies are working as they're supposed to. Two pips is the most anyone but a pure fighter can put in any weapon.

Or Archer for Bows.

Fardragon

ZanathKariashi said:

with exception to the cursed belt of giant str (the "penalty" is a joke, and only hurts a mage or bard) and potentially the cursed sword of berserking (if you're careful, you can use it effectively and it's a fairly powerful +3 2hded sword that also grants +1 hit, +3 extra damage while berserk (it uses the same mechanics as Minsc's berserk except it fires off constantly while in combat)), most other cursed items are debilitating and should be thrown out or sold. The belt of Sex-change is more of a joke item then anything really serious and can be kept if you REALLY want.

The Spear +3 cursed backbiter is potentially useful as well (I believe the self damage can be resisted). There are also uses for the helm of opposite alignment.

But all Remove Curse does is let you unequip the item. It doesn't remove the negative qualities, and if you re-equip the item you are cursed again.

TJ_Hooker

Fardragon said:

The Spear +3 cursed backbiter is potentially useful as well (I believe the self damage can be resisted).

I don't think the damage to the wielder has a saving throw (I'm assuming that's what you meant by resisted). So overall I'd say the spear is pretty useless, as I think getting extra damage against an enemy in exchange for extra damage to the user on a 1:1 ratio is a pretty terrible deal.

Fardragon

TJ_Hooker said:

Fardragon said:

The Spear +3 cursed backbiter is potentially useful as well (I believe the self damage can be resisted).

I don't think the damage to the wielder has a saving throw (I'm assuming that's what you meant by resisted). So overall I'd say the spear is pretty useless, as I think getting extra damage against an enemy in exchange for extra damage to the user on a 1:1 ratio is a pretty terrible deal.

No, I think it's piercing damage, so if you resist that damage type (Armour of Faith, Barbarian, Dwarven Defender, some BG2 gear) the damage is reduced. More than 70% should reduce it to zero. It's also worthwhile if you have shedloads of hp and regeration.

ZanathKariashi

no...it would reduce it to 1-2. Kangaxx has 95% damage reduction vs all physical attacks, and only takes 1-4 damage on every hit, no matter how little or how high the damage you deal (except from the ring of the ram which is untyped damage, and hits for full strength). The only way to prevent it entirely is to have 100% damage. While it's possible to get 20 or 21 constitution, which allows minor regen, the rate is so abysmally slow, it's more of a fringe perk for resting and traveling then an actual benefit during combat. You will always take a minimum of 1 damage from any source unless you have 100% or more resistance to that damage type.

Backbiter is worthless in BG2 due to MUCH better options fall off trees every 3 feet...those other options don't work in BG1, so it sucks.

CSoB's only downside is periodic loss of control in combat, but also gives a pretty nice buff to damage and allows the ability to ignore several debilitating effects for the duration of the berserk, and is a pretty powerful weapon for that stage of the game, and easily acquired. While you can technically acquire it almost immediately after beginning BG2 as well, there's another easily acquired +3 2hd sword that gives several immunities and doesn't cause loss of control...and is pretty damn hilarious to fight with to boot.

TJ_Hooker

Fardragon said:

TJ_Hooker said:

Fardragon said:

The Spear +3 cursed backbiter is potentially useful as well (I believe the self damage can be resisted).

I don't think the damage to the wielder has a saving throw (I'm assuming that's what you meant by resisted). So overall I'd say the spear is pretty useless, as I think getting extra damage against an enemy in exchange for extra damage to the user on a 1:1 ratio is a pretty terrible deal.

No, I think it's piercing damage, so if you resist that damage type (Armour of Faith, Barbarian, Dwarven Defender, some BG2 gear) the damage is reduced. More than 70% should reduce it to zero. It's also worthwhile if you have shedloads of hp and regeration.

The only thing I can think of that grants damage resistance in BG1 is Armour of Faith, and the most you could get out of that would be 15% resistance for a druid at level 10, which I don't think would even be enough to reduce the damage at all. An if we're talking BG2, I think you have plenty of better options.