My PC always has to be the party leader. If they're not a tank, I just use one of the party arrangements that puts them in the back. I've tried putting other party members in the leader slot and it just feels wrong.
I think this has already been said in the thread, but I refuse to break into locked houses, even when I know there's a quest in there. I always play lawful good parties, and I can't see any justification for a law-abiding or a good person to break and enter. People in a civilization of the Sword Coast's level have the same ideas about property rights and ownership as we do. That's why there's a Flaming Fist. They're basically the police.
I don't even feel right just walking into unlocked houses. I justify it by telling myself it's a mechanical limitation of the game - they couldn't figure out how to let you knock on a door and have the NPC inside invite you in or give their dialogues from the door.
And, I certainly don't rob people. I actually have a pet peeve about people who claim to be "chaotic good", or even "chaotic neutral", and yet go around robbing and stealing everything that's not nailed down, from rich and poor alike, just like any common looter. That's chaotic evil in my book, folks, or neutral evil at best. "Thou shalt not steal." That's a commandment from every good deity ever imagined, and is a matter of good and evil, not law and chaos.
Okay, I guess that last bit belongs in the "unpopular opinions" thread.
I still close doors after leaving a building. My new thing is to disarm and de-armor CHARNAME whenever stopping at an inn to rest. I also line up my party around the bar like a bunch of rummies, as it feels silly to drink at a tavern in combat formation.
I disagree.. You should always drink in full equipment, in combat formation and with your spells ready... You never know where the next attack will come from
Using the WINGS01 item in EE I made an avariel elf and I pretend CTRL+J is when she flies around. Of course I only do this if the desired area is logically accessible in such a way.
Gives you a cool new perspective on the athkatla architecture.
I have only ever tried to pickpocket someone once. I had read about Algernon's cloak and want to try it out. I hadn't put enough points into Immy's PP skill, so he kept going hostile. After a while, I just gave it up, reloaded and went on with my game. Other than that, I've never used the skill in any of my runs through the BG's or IWD.
I have only ever tried to pickpocket someone once. I had read about Algernon's cloak and want to try it out. I hadn't put enough points into Immy's PP skill, so he kept going hostile. After a while, I just gave it up, reloaded and went on with my game. Other than that, I've never used the skill in any of my runs through the BG's or IWD.
Pickpocket is fun in BG2 when you have enough points to be reasonably successful, but it's just not worth the trouble in BG1 except for Algernon's cloak. And the last time I played an evil character, I didn't bother with pickpocketing at all and just had Dorn chunk Algernon. It was oddly satisfying.
Can you still pickpocket high-level spells from Athkatla's commoners? Either way, I usually play a Bard, who takes care of pickpocketing, thus freeing up the party's thief for other skills.
1) don't dual a kensai or any specialty fighter kit - she always is a true sword master (or that single weapon you want them to gain grandmaster in)
1a) as a kensai only 1 grandmastery (5 points) in one sword is allowed; may master (3 points) all other types of swords; allowed only 1 proficiency in a non-sword weapon.
1b) as a kensai - I keep all my swords and try to collect all the magical longswords in the game (if she has grandmastery in longswords)
2) dual wielding weapons - the off-hand weapon must always be smaller (if the main hand uses a large sword ie longsword, bastard or katana) and you can't dual wield with hammers (in the off-hand - no weird dualing combinations); although you can dual 2 short swords, daggers, axes or hammers
3) if severely injured (usually less than 20% of totally hp) during a fight must disengage and move away from battle in order to drink from a potion - drinking in battle is just odd
4) always use a thief using hide to scout an area - while the rest of the party is sitting some place safe enjoying tea and cookies
5) thief always does everything by herself - whether it is scouting, breaking in or pick pocketing - she moves away from the party to do it; the thief also carries the bag of holding for all of her loot (its good of her that she allows us to store some of our other equipment inside it)
6) limit the use of potion of thief mastery (too much cheese) - can only use 1 potion of each different type to boost thief stats- I don't like the idea of these potions that can stack; no other potions can stack - imagine drinking 2 potions of frost giant str and having a 40 str or something; plus only resell an item once (no cheesy reselling of items to get infinite money especially not expensive magical items) as if the merchant would not notice you selling the same +3 armor/weapon again and again (the only magical weapon that can be resold more than once are +1 weapons - this would take you forever in other words to resell +1 weapons in order to get rich)
7) oddly I hoard all my potions (using really only healing and the odd stat potion boost for npcs) and green scrolls for some reason and almost never use them - although I am getting better at using them now; I also hoard my magical ammunition especially +2 or elemental ammo - I should really use them more often; and one type of each type of armor and shield
8) I don't pre-buff before battles unless it obvious battle ( i.e. a large neon sign saying big battle straight ahead with a vicious foe pre-buff or die)
9) souvenirs - I collect them in my travels - head of wyvern, shell of anhkeg, notes etc - things that can be souvenirs - along with a few special single items - like a single bolt of polymorph
10) using a thief - when using UAI they cannot use artifact weapons - too cheesy to use (as if your paladin or mage would allow a thief to use their prized possessions -- eg "excuse me mage/paladin might I borrow your holy avenger or staff of the magi so I can backstab someone" - you can imagine the reaction (and laughter) an NPC would say if someone asked that) and no backstabbing using a staff or large weapon (longswords or two-handed)- that is just too weird, although why an axe (a one-handed weapons) is not a thief weapon is also odd - I remember trying to backstab with an axe once to only later figure out my thief couldn't use it for that purpose - oh well live and learn - of course my thief had to run for her life.
11) I like darts so there is always at least 1 party member that will use them; if possible I like to diversify the missile weapons - using all the different types available in the game.
12) Do the sub-quests with the NPC as it concerns them - eg Nalia keep - she obviously has to come along to save her home
13) I like to give the small races large weapons to use - two-handed swords and halbreds especially if they are fighter types
14) I always complete a floor in a dungeon before resting - must be sure it is clear of all monsters before resting
15) after a big battle - to reward ourselves I rent the most expensive room and celebrate with drinks and good food
16) non minimum stats allowed - I like literate and somewhat wise characters - no stat under 10
17) I collect and read all the books (much easier to do with a bag of holding)
18) when romancing Hexxat - I try to keep a lot of the fighting, exploring etc during the night hours.
I use Wisdom as a dump stat instead of Charisma because I can more easily appreciate characters who are goofy and spacey rather than unfriendly or anti-social.
I CTRL-Y guards who try to wake me up when I'm sleeping on the streets because it feels faster than entering and exiting an inn.
I design custom auto-buffing spells and instant-kill swords to speed up pre-combat buffing and minor fights.
My characters tend to have recurring names and portraits that I strongly associate with certain soundsets, because there are only so many soundsets I like.
When I'm not playing a solo or multiplayer run, I choose NPCs based on whose voices I like the best.
I keep the Elder Brain Blood, Elder Orb Stalk, and the random treasure from Kangaxx (not just the Ring of Gaxx) to commemorate the annihilation of my most hated foes.
Can you still pickpocket high-level spells from Athkatla's commoners? Either way, I usually play a Bard, who takes care of pickpocketing, thus freeing up the party's thief for other skills.
You should. If you can't, I'd create a ticket for it.
I had read about Algernon's cloak and want to try it out. I hadn't put enough points into Immy's PP skill, so he kept going hostile.
@Tresset gave me a wonderful idea about getting this cloak. It'll be my habit from now on. You can charm Algernon (just repeat till it sticks) and lead him into the Tranzig's room. Then speak with Tranzig and quickly leave the room so that only Algernon is left. Tranzig will attack and kill Algernon with his magic. After that you avenge his death by killing the mage.
No PP needed, no rep hit, Algernon avenged, you get the cloak.
When traveling in and out of Athkatla, I always go by the City Gates area, even if I could for example travel directly from Waukeen's Promenade to the Umar Hills or vice versa.
Uh-oh, I am clearly one of those flexi-gamers, except that if a game demands me to be a judge, I will never be the executioner, or make that profession needed, unless this is one of those illusionary choices. I have few real life values so stringently importing unto gaming, but these seem important to me.
Can you still pickpocket high-level spells from Athkatla's commoners? Either way, I usually play a Bard, who takes care of pickpocketing, thus freeing up the party's thief for other skills.
You should. If you can't, I'd create a ticket for it.
I had read about Algernon's cloak and want to try it out. I hadn't put enough points into Immy's PP skill, so he kept going hostile.
@Tresset gave me a wonderful idea about getting this cloak. It'll be my habit from now on. You can charm Algernon (just repeat till it sticks) and lead him into the Tranzig's room. Then speak with Tranzig and quickly leave the room so that only Algernon is left. Tranzig will attack and kill Algernon with his magic. After that you avenge his death by killing the mage.
No PP needed, no rep hit, Algernon avenged, you get the cloak.
Excellent ploy!! ~If playing a no-reload game would this trick work more reliably with a Charm Person scroll than a Charm Person spell?
I have never used a morningstar in IE ever at all simply because it has no anim for it. That's my only excuse. Very disappointing that EE did not address this issue.
Although having an ogre character could work. Hmmmm. idea.
My own house rules are mostly built around creating a challenge. - Realistic resting (If a big fight seems imminent or the group has taken a bit of a kicking, we might sensibly rest. Otherwise, once per day.) If resting in dangerous territory, my thief sets traps, and a Mage will cast Invisibility 10'R. - No duplicated spells (Jan & Neera can both have Magic Missile memorised, but only once each... Forces me to use different tactics.) - Only change armour/robes immediately before or after resting... Fighter/X multis and duals have to decide whether today is a fighting day or a sneaking/casting day. - Contingencies/Sequencers can't be "prepped" in battle. - No recharging of limited use items.
Okay, an odd habit I've noticed that I've developed while playing the games, I never equip an unidentified item. Even if I know EXACTLY what the item is and what it does, I still don't equip it until I identify it.
I played Shadows of Amn long before I tackled Baldur's Gate or Throne of Bhaal, so I kind of got used to constantly being outleveled by enemy spellcasters. As a result, I kind of have to remind myself periodically that yes, dispel magic actually works every now and then. Regularly facing level 18+ mages at level 10 kind of trained me into thinking I'd never succeed at dispelling anything, which isn't a great attitude to have, to say the least.
I use temples for healing and inns to rest, even if I can sleep outdoors until fully healed. In fact, I don't use the rest until healed option. This makes early BG1 harder since I have to either spend gold on full healing or remain injured.
If available, I always rest in a Merchant room. I wouldn't ask my NPCs to rest in the cheapest rooms available, but I'll be damned if I waste money on luxury like Noble or Royal chambers for them! And it doesn't matter whether I am just out of Candlekeep with but a handful of coin in my pockets, or I just entered Baldur's Gate with enough gold to buy the Sorcerous Sundries lock, stock and barrel.
Comments
I don't even feel right just walking into unlocked houses. I justify it by telling myself it's a mechanical limitation of the game - they couldn't figure out how to let you knock on a door and have the NPC inside invite you in or give their dialogues from the door.
And, I certainly don't rob people. I actually have a pet peeve about people who claim to be "chaotic good", or even "chaotic neutral", and yet go around robbing and stealing everything that's not nailed down, from rich and poor alike, just like any common looter. That's chaotic evil in my book, folks, or neutral evil at best. "Thou shalt not steal." That's a commandment from every good deity ever imagined, and is a matter of good and evil, not law and chaos.
Okay, I guess that last bit belongs in the "unpopular opinions" thread.
Using the WINGS01 item in EE I made an avariel elf and I pretend CTRL+J is when she flies around. Of course I only do this if the desired area is logically accessible in such a way.
Gives you a cool new perspective on the athkatla architecture.
Apart from Algernon's cloak and Ribald Barterman's Ring of Regeneration, I don't use pickpocketing either.
1) don't dual a kensai or any specialty fighter kit - she always is a true sword master (or that single weapon you want them to gain grandmaster in)
1a) as a kensai only 1 grandmastery (5 points) in one sword is allowed; may master (3 points) all other types of swords; allowed only 1 proficiency in a non-sword weapon.
1b) as a kensai - I keep all my swords and try to collect all the magical longswords in the game (if she has grandmastery in longswords)
2) dual wielding weapons - the off-hand weapon must always be smaller (if the main hand uses a large sword ie longsword, bastard or katana) and you can't dual wield with hammers (in the off-hand - no weird dualing combinations); although you can dual 2 short swords, daggers, axes or hammers
3) if severely injured (usually less than 20% of totally hp) during a fight must disengage and move away from battle in order to drink from a potion - drinking in battle is just odd
4) always use a thief using hide to scout an area - while the rest of the party is sitting some place safe enjoying tea and cookies
5) thief always does everything by herself - whether it is scouting, breaking in or pick pocketing - she moves away from the party to do it; the thief also carries the bag of holding for all of her loot (its good of her that she allows us to store some of our other equipment inside it)
6) limit the use of potion of thief mastery (too much cheese) - can only use 1 potion of each different type to boost thief stats- I don't like the idea of these potions that can stack; no other potions can stack - imagine drinking 2 potions of frost giant str and having a 40 str or something; plus only resell an item once (no cheesy reselling of items to get infinite money especially not expensive magical items) as if the merchant would not notice you selling the same +3 armor/weapon again and again (the only magical weapon that can be resold more than once are +1 weapons - this would take you forever in other words to resell +1 weapons in order to get rich)
7) oddly I hoard all my potions (using really only healing and the odd stat potion boost for npcs) and green scrolls for some reason and almost never use them - although I am getting better at using them now; I also hoard my magical ammunition especially +2 or elemental ammo - I should really use them more often; and one type of each type of armor and shield
8) I don't pre-buff before battles unless it obvious battle ( i.e. a large neon sign saying big battle straight ahead with a vicious foe pre-buff or die)
9) souvenirs - I collect them in my travels - head of wyvern, shell of anhkeg, notes etc - things that can be souvenirs - along with a few special single items - like a single bolt of polymorph
10) using a thief - when using UAI they cannot use artifact weapons - too cheesy to use (as if your paladin or mage would allow a thief to use their prized possessions -- eg "excuse me mage/paladin might I borrow your holy avenger or staff of the magi so I can backstab someone" - you can imagine the reaction (and laughter) an NPC would say if someone asked that) and no backstabbing using a staff or large weapon (longswords or two-handed)- that is just too weird, although why an axe (a one-handed weapons) is not a thief weapon is also odd - I remember trying to backstab with an axe once to only later figure out my thief couldn't use it for that purpose - oh well live and learn - of course my thief had to run for her life.
11) I like darts so there is always at least 1 party member that will use them; if possible I like to diversify the missile weapons - using all the different types available in the game.
12) Do the sub-quests with the NPC as it concerns them - eg Nalia keep - she obviously has to come along to save her home
13) I like to give the small races large weapons to use - two-handed swords and halbreds especially if they are fighter types
14) I always complete a floor in a dungeon before resting - must be sure it is clear of all monsters before resting
15) after a big battle - to reward ourselves I rent the most expensive room and celebrate with drinks and good food
16) non minimum stats allowed - I like literate and somewhat wise characters - no stat under 10
17) I collect and read all the books (much easier to do with a bag of holding)
18) when romancing Hexxat - I try to keep a lot of the fighting, exploring etc during the night hours.
I CTRL-Y guards who try to wake me up when I'm sleeping on the streets because it feels faster than entering and exiting an inn.
I design custom auto-buffing spells and instant-kill swords to speed up pre-combat buffing and minor fights.
My characters tend to have recurring names and portraits that I strongly associate with certain soundsets, because there are only so many soundsets I like.
When I'm not playing a solo or multiplayer run, I choose NPCs based on whose voices I like the best.
I keep the Elder Brain Blood, Elder Orb Stalk, and the random treasure from Kangaxx (not just the Ring of Gaxx) to commemorate the annihilation of my most hated foes.
No PP needed, no rep hit, Algernon avenged, you get the cloak.
Although having an ogre character could work. Hmmmm. idea.
- Realistic resting (If a big fight seems imminent or the group has taken a bit of a kicking, we might sensibly rest. Otherwise, once per day.) If resting in dangerous territory, my thief sets traps, and a Mage will cast Invisibility 10'R.
- No duplicated spells (Jan & Neera can both have Magic Missile memorised, but only once each... Forces me to use different tactics.)
- Only change armour/robes immediately before or after resting... Fighter/X multis and duals have to decide whether today is a fighting day or a sneaking/casting day.
- Contingencies/Sequencers can't be "prepped" in battle.
- No recharging of limited use items.
Although that should be fixed by now.