FAVORITE: Ring of Wizardry, Evermemory - i typically play some sort of arcane caster. more spells = happiness and 1st lvl spells are actually useful.
MOST USEFUL: Bag of Holding - crazy amounts of inventory space without the weight? YES PLEASE!
MOST POWERFUL: Cloak of Balduran - anyone can use it, its +1 ac bonus stacks with armor/rings of protection, it gives a buttload of MR and +1 to all saves.
Most Powerful: Wand of Paralyzation - from the 10th charge I even managed to paralyze Sarevok in the final fight. He ran after Monty all the time I kept trying to paralyze him (he used to save against wands) and - at last - Imoen did it. He became dead in a matter of seconds. I call this wand the most powerful item in the game because it alone can decide even the final fight.
This. Combine it with Stupefier, and ain't nobody gonna last long. My last playthrough saw me bean Sarevok with the aforementioned mace, him get all limp, and then it saw my two mages fire their wands at him periodically while he was stunned, and watched us ventilate his cronies.
FAVOURITE: Ring of Wizardry. I usually play a Sorceror, and it effectively gives me infinite Magic Missiles given how often I rest. Or I give it to a backup mage and stop needing to worry about what level 1 spells to memorise.
MOST USEFUL: Wand of Paralysation comes in very handy against some of the toughest enemies in the game, such as Loup Garou.
MOST POWERFUL: Wands of Fire, especially once you can buy and use them en masse, effectively make any party battle trivial.
Note: Against powerful individual foes, the last two can be reversed.
FAVOURITE: Buckley's Buckler. Yes, yes, yes, I love this thing. Small, cheap, easily attainable and made of MAMMOTH.
MOST USEFUL: Boots of Speed. Just handy.
MOST POWERFUL: The Stupefier. Maybe even a little bit too much so, I think.
Alternative for MOST USEFUL: Mithral Chain Mail +4. Making Shar-Teel a worthy frontliner and a backstabber at the same time since nineteen-ninety-nine.
Twin Ring of Wizardry. There is one hidden in Friendly Arm Inn map, and somewhere you get to find one more (now i do not remember where exactly, maybe on Razamith, together with Ring of Protection +2?). In 1, where wizard spells are great (even the lowest level ones) and make a huge impact or different to the course of a battle, this neat little combo turns any mage of your own creation, be it your main or simple party member, into a crazy spell spammer with loads to throw at enemies' faces.
Also, if in 2 you import this character wearing the twin rings of wizardry, you can keep this combo active despite 2 forbidding wearing two of this item simultaneously; but you have to do the keep items at beginning trick, or import this character NOT as main (but as party member), in Multiplayer.
Ring of Wizardry, to casters, in 1, is a game maker; to those who lack it, it is a game breaker. I love casters throughout the BG saga; much to exploit, lots of power, stinks of cheese...
Heh, you just got me thinking of how game breaking Neera will be in the second game if you do that.
Actually, this might be undoable. If you transfer a character wearing twin ring of wizardry, and keep items with the trick, you cannot equip both of them afterwards. This works only if you import said character AFTER initial cutscene, in multiplayer. Neera shouldn't be able to, because party members cannot export into a character file.
FAVORITE: wolf-cloak from Sirine cave. I thought it was the coolest thing ever in my first play through. I would transform, have someone turn me invisible, then I'd run around spying each landscape. I don't use it as much anymore, but I never sell it.
MOST USEFUL: boots of speed. Too bad you can't get 6 pairs in BG1
MOST POWERFUL- ring of wizardry. Even though it's only level 1 spells, since magic missile gains power over time, it is a godlike item. Having Edwin cast 12 magic missiles at max level can turn the tide of any battle, and stop most enemy mages from casting a single spell.
FAVORITE: wolf-cloak from Sirine cave. I thought it was the coolest thing ever in my first play through. I would transform, have someone turn me invisible, then I'd run around spying each landscape. I don't use it as much anymore, but I never sell it.
MOST USEFUL: boots of speed. Too bad you can't get 6 pairs in BG1
MOST POWERFUL- ring of wizardry. Even though it's only level 1 spells, since magic missile gains power over time, it is a godlike item. Having Edwin cast 12 magic missiles at max level can turn the tide of any battle, and stop most enemy mages from casting a single spell.
The wolf cloak is probably the most underrated and under used item in the game, based on the fact that nobody mentions it that much. It gives you faster speed, sure. But it gives you TWO attacks per round with a 1d6 bite. It turns any mage into a viable melee combatant.
FAVORITE: wolf-cloak from Sirine cave. I thought it was the coolest thing ever in my first play through. I would transform, have someone turn me invisible, then I'd run around spying each landscape. I don't use it as much anymore, but I never sell it.
MOST USEFUL: boots of speed. Too bad you can't get 6 pairs in BG1
MOST POWERFUL- ring of wizardry. Even though it's only level 1 spells, since magic missile gains power over time, it is a godlike item. Having Edwin cast 12 magic missiles at max level can turn the tide of any battle, and stop most enemy mages from casting a single spell.
The wolf cloak is probably the most underrated and under used item in the game, based on the fact that nobody mentions it that much. It gives you faster speed, sure. But it gives you TWO attacks per round with a 1d6 bite. It turns any mage into a viable melee combatant.
Except that you still have the same health, your strength isn't set at anything exceptional (regular 18), no other bonus to Thac0, your dexterity is set at 17 (which could be an improvement or not), and it doesn't give you any additional AC bonus. Throwing some cash down to buy some darts +1 (for just in case moments) and staying away from the front lines is probably going to work out better.
I like the Ring of Free Action best. There's nothing worse than your CHARNAME being held and having to watch them being pummeled to death while you are helpless to do anything.
Gauntlets of dexterity are a bit of a silly choice for most powerful item. At best, dex 18 is going to mean +4 AC for anyone who isn't a thief (and thus already has high dex)
Gauntlets of dexterity are a bit of a silly choice for most powerful item. At best, dex 18 is going to mean +4 AC for anyone who isn't a thief (and thus already has high dex)
I agree that they're not a good choice for "most powerful item", but I disagree that AC is their only usage. Eldoth is a good example of a character who is useless without them, and quite useful with them.
FAVORITE: Cloak of Balduran - It's just way too good for BG1, and so very easy to get hold of.
MOST USEFUL: Wand of Sleep - Makes the early game a walk in the park, and just about anyone can use it.
MOST POWERFUL: Full plate Mail - This is without doubt the most powerful item in the game. You can get it right out of candlekeep if you sell the ring of Wizardry, and the amount of AC this one item improves is amazing. Give your fighter a Full plate mail and large shield +1 and he can go through the rest of his game with no other gear needed. If you add a ring of protection and have 18 dexterity, you'll never ever get hit by an arrow again.
HONORABLE MENTION : Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
FAVORITE: wolf-cloak from Sirine cave. I thought it was the coolest thing ever in my first play through. I would transform, have someone turn me invisible, then I'd run around spying each landscape. I don't use it as much anymore, but I never sell it.
MOST USEFUL: boots of speed. Too bad you can't get 6 pairs in BG1
MOST POWERFUL- ring of wizardry. Even though it's only level 1 spells, since magic missile gains power over time, it is a godlike item. Having Edwin cast 12 magic missiles at max level can turn the tide of any battle, and stop most enemy mages from casting a single spell.
The wolf cloak is probably the most underrated and under used item in the game, based on the fact that nobody mentions it that much. It gives you faster speed, sure. But it gives you TWO attacks per round with a 1d6 bite. It turns any mage into a viable melee combatant.
Except that you still have the same health, your strength isn't set at anything exceptional (regular 18), no other bonus to Thac0, your dexterity is set at 17 (which could be an improvement or not), and it doesn't give you any additional AC bonus. Throwing some cash down to buy some darts +1 (for just in case moments) and staying away from the front lines is probably going to work out better.
You can buff first. Mirror Image, the works. It's an unlimited number of polymorph into a wolf spells. You want to flail your sissy dart arms around or get your teeth bloody like a man?
Gauntlets of dexterity are a bit of a silly choice for most powerful item. At best, dex 18 is going to mean +4 AC for anyone who isn't a thief (and thus already has high dex)
Gauntlets of dexterity are a bit of a silly choice for most powerful item. At best, dex 18 is going to mean +4 AC for anyone who isn't a thief (and thus already has high dex)
It can turn a 3 dex into an 18. +15 stat bonus.
Not to mention in BG1 they turn Ajantis into a power house and it makes Keldorn one if not the best fighter in BG2. Both of those paladins have one big weakness which is dexterity, when they do get those gauntlets their stats are amazing.
Keldorn :
STR - 17 DEX - 18 CON - 17 INT - 12 WIS - 16 CHA - 18 = 98
Ajantis :
STR - 17 DEX - 18 CON - 16 INT - 12 WIS - 13 CHA - 17 =93
With a frontline stat of 17/18/17 and 17/18/16 they have some of the best fighter stats in the game. And they get a free 18CHA (Keldorn) or 19CHA (Ajantis with cloak) so they can be your leader for conversations and buying items.
They will also boost Kagains 12 dexterity to 18 which puts him on a statline of 16/18/20.
And they turn Yeslick into a power house aswell with his 15/18/17 score which can be boosted even further with DUHM.
The biggest problem with bracers of dexterity is that it prevents using the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization.
And the strength gauntlets. But if it comes down to +4-5 AC or a little bit of damage, i'll take that AC every single time in BG1. It's that much more important in BG1 not to get hit, than it is to deal a bit extra damage.
+2 Damage +1 Thac0
Vs
+4 AC
Yea it's pretty easy.
And you should almost always give the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization to your archer.
"Reports show that the Flaming Fist officer was mauled to death by a wolf in the city streets. When asked how a wolf could defeat an armored warrior, sources claimed that it was hasted, blurred, mirror-imaged, and protected from normal arrows.
'I've been killing wolves my whole life,' said Aldeth Sashenstar, a business owner who saw the attack, 'but if I have to keep Dispel Magic scrolls on hand before I can fight them, I'm going to give up hunting.'"
Overall, all three guantlets are great : Ogre Strength are the best for characters with good dex but low strength (IE : Khalid) Dex are the best for characters with low dex (IE : Jaheira, Ajantis... ) Extraordinary Specialization are the best on CHARNAME due to him already having 18+ STR/DEX/CON
"Reports show that the Flaming Fist officer was mauled to death by a wolf in the city streets. When asked how a wolf could defeat an armored warrior, sources claimed that it was hasted, blurred, mirror-imaged, and protected from normal arrows.
'I've been killing wolves my whole life,' said Aldeth Sashenstar, a business owner who saw the attack, 'but if I have to keep Dispel Magic scrolls on hand before I can fight them, I'm going to give up hunting.'"
HONORABLE MENTION : Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
Where do you find the Ring of Free Action outside Candlekeep?
I always end up trekking all the way to Ulgoth's Beard so Imoen can pickpocket one.
HONORABLE MENTION : Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
Where do you find the Ring of Free Action outside Candlekeep?
I always end up trekking all the way to Ulgoth's Beard so Imoen can pickpocket one.
"Outside candlekeep" for me means that the moment you get out in the open, you can walk to an area and find it. Ulgoth's beard is the first and quickest place you can go to get one.
1.) Walk to friendly arm inn 2.) Go up to the ankheg map, and follow the sea and no one will attack you 3.) Walk up the bridge map and just run past the ankheg and zone to a new area, you won't get hit. 4.) Click on ulgoth's beard, voila.
HONORABLE MENTION : Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
Where do you find the Ring of Free Action outside Candlekeep?
I always end up trekking all the way to Ulgoth's Beard so Imoen can pickpocket one.
"Outside candlekeep" for me means that the moment you get out in the open, you can walk to an area and find it. Ulgoth's beard is the first and quickest place you can go to get one.
1.) Walk to friendly arm inn 2.) Go up to the ankheg map, and follow the sea and no one will attack you 3.) Walk up the bridge map and just run past the ankheg and zone to a new area, you won't get hit. 4.) Click on ulgoth's beard, voila.
That's the route I always take as well. It's a bit cheesy but I do like to get the ring as early in the game as I can (ie. as soon as I've got Imoen's pick-pocketing skills high enough). And while I'm in the area I also pick up Viconia (and get myself as suit of plate armour as a bonus).
HONORABLE MENTION : Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
Where do you find the Ring of Free Action outside Candlekeep?
I always end up trekking all the way to Ulgoth's Beard so Imoen can pickpocket one.
"Outside candlekeep" for me means that the moment you get out in the open, you can walk to an area and find it. Ulgoth's beard is the first and quickest place you can go to get one.
1.) Walk to friendly arm inn 2.) Go up to the ankheg map, and follow the sea and no one will attack you 3.) Walk up the bridge map and just run past the ankheg and zone to a new area, you won't get hit. 4.) Click on ulgoth's beard, voila.
That's the route I always take as well. It's a bit cheesy but I do like to get the ring as early in the game as I can (ie. as soon as I've got Imoen's pick-pocketing skills high enough). And while I'm in the area I also pick up Viconia (and get myself as suit of plate armour as a bonus).
Then there is also the Bastard sword +1/+3 vs shapeshifters, War hammer +1, and cloak of protection +1 you can find laying around Ulgoth's beard and the zombie farm.
Comments
Ring of Wizardry, Evermemory - i typically play some sort of arcane caster.
MOST USEFUL:
Bag of Holding - crazy amounts of inventory space without the weight? YES PLEASE!
MOST POWERFUL:
Cloak of Balduran - anyone can use it, its +1 ac bonus stacks with armor/rings of protection, it gives a buttload of MR and +1 to all saves.
MOST USEFUL: Wand of Paralysation comes in very handy against some of the toughest enemies in the game, such as Loup Garou.
MOST POWERFUL: Wands of Fire, especially once you can buy and use them en masse, effectively make any party battle trivial.
Note: Against powerful individual foes, the last two can be reversed.
Tomes of [Attribute]: The buff that keeps on giving.
MOST USEFUL
Spider's Bane, Two-Handed Sword +2. Dat Free Movement.
MOST POWERFUL
Algernon's Cloak. CHARM ALL THE THINGS!!!
MOST USEFUL: Boots of Speed. Just handy.
MOST POWERFUL: The Stupefier. Maybe even a little bit too much so, I think.
Alternative for MOST USEFUL: Mithral Chain Mail +4. Making Shar-Teel a worthy frontliner and a backstabber at the same time since nineteen-ninety-nine.
Most useful: Boots of speed. Have to agree.
Most powerful: Ctrl+y. No matter what you have my ctrl+y will always kill you
Also, if in 2 you import this character wearing the twin rings of wizardry, you can keep this combo active despite 2 forbidding wearing two of this item simultaneously; but you have to do the keep items at beginning trick, or import this character NOT as main (but as party member), in Multiplayer.
Ring of Wizardry, to casters, in 1, is a game maker; to those who lack it, it is a game breaker. I love casters throughout the BG saga; much to exploit, lots of power, stinks of cheese...
Combined with my second favorite item, the Shadow Armor, I look about as good as a swashbuckler can in Baldur's Gate.
Honorable mention goes to the Gauntlets of Ogre Power/Stupifier combo on Viconia.
MOST USEFUL: boots of speed. Too bad you can't get 6 pairs in BG1
MOST POWERFUL- ring of wizardry. Even though it's only level 1 spells, since magic missile gains power over time, it is a godlike item. Having Edwin cast 12 magic missiles at max level can turn the tide of any battle, and stop most enemy mages from casting a single spell.
At best, dex 18 is going to mean +4 AC for anyone who isn't a thief (and thus already has high dex)
Cloak of Balduran - It's just way too good for BG1, and so very easy to get hold of.
MOST USEFUL:
Wand of Sleep - Makes the early game a walk in the park, and just about anyone can use it.
MOST POWERFUL:
Full plate Mail - This is without doubt the most powerful item in the game. You can get it right out of candlekeep if you sell the ring of Wizardry, and the amount of AC this one item improves is amazing. Give your fighter a Full plate mail and large shield +1 and he can go through the rest of his game with no other gear needed. If you add a ring of protection and have 18 dexterity, you'll never ever get hit by an arrow again.
HONORABLE MENTION :
Ring of Free Action - You can get this the moment you get outside of candlekeep at the start. It will make life so much easier with immunity to hold spells, slow, ghouls, ghasts and carrion crawlers. Put it on your tank and send him into fight the clerics or ghouls in close combat while the rest of your team fire arrows and bolts from safety.
Keldorn :
STR - 17
DEX - 18
CON - 17
INT - 12
WIS - 16
CHA - 18
= 98
Ajantis :
STR - 17
DEX - 18
CON - 16
INT - 12
WIS - 13
CHA - 17
=93
With a frontline stat of 17/18/17 and 17/18/16 they have some of the best fighter stats in the game. And they get a free 18CHA (Keldorn) or 19CHA (Ajantis with cloak) so they can be your leader for conversations and buying items.
They will also boost Kagains 12 dexterity to 18 which puts him on a statline of 16/18/20.
And they turn Yeslick into a power house aswell with his 15/18/17 score which can be boosted even further with DUHM.
+2 Damage
+1 Thac0
Vs
+4 AC
Yea it's pretty easy.
And you should almost always give the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization to your archer.
'I've been killing wolves my whole life,' said Aldeth Sashenstar, a business owner who saw the attack, 'but if I have to keep Dispel Magic scrolls on hand before I can fight them, I'm going to give up hunting.'"
Ogre Strength are the best for characters with good dex but low strength (IE : Khalid)
Dex are the best for characters with low dex (IE : Jaheira, Ajantis... )
Extraordinary Specialization are the best on CHARNAME due to him already having 18+ STR/DEX/CON
1.) Walk to friendly arm inn
2.) Go up to the ankheg map, and follow the sea and no one will attack you
3.) Walk up the bridge map and just run past the ankheg and zone to a new area, you won't get hit.
4.) Click on ulgoth's beard, voila.