The box covers of Baldur's Gate have some really interesting artwork and screenshots, especially the early releases: The early version of gnolls can be seen, as well as different "lightning" inside the High Hedge.
Most screenshots are obviously from the earlier versions of the game, the same goes for some of the portraits: Edwin, Eldoth and Minsc. The artwork on the CDs themselves is really interesting: different Gnoll than in the actual cinematic, wyvern above the Baldur's Gate city and an awesome Sarevok portrait.
There seem to have been 3 versions of the box at the first release: The US version, the European version and then... the Polish version. I don't know whether the game could be bought in Poland at the initial release, because the one seen on that site was released around 6 months later (translation of both text and audio to Polish took quite some time). I still have those big boxes of the first release (Polish version).
As @Arunsun has discovered, it's possible for any character to remain in Slayer form indefinitely by casting Mirror Image before using the Slayer Change ability. You can use a Mirror Image spell or scroll, Ilbratha, or the Ring of Duplication (@Kaigen mentioned this; it's in the Rasaad questline). Some characters can also dispel the Slayer weapon while maintaining Slayer form, and are thus able to use any weapon in Slayer form at the cost of some of the Slayer's bonuses. https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/44283/bug-discovered-but-a-nice-bug-it-is#latest
If you've noticed how "kobold" and "cobalt" sound similar, that's actually not a coincidence. Cobalt was originally named based on the word kobold (or more specifically the German word kobald).
I didn't know that about the fiends. I think I should start using some of those guys.
Also note that Mislead clones can sing bard songs, and the effects stack. Have all of the clones in that screenshot (there appear to be 101) sing the Improved Bard Song and your main character will get over 500 MR and +400 to hit, damage, and AC.
Did you know that if Faldorn is defeated by Jaheira or charname druid you'll receive a lovely staff of thunder, and if Cernd defeats her you get nothing in return?
If you use Teleport Field in the triple Clay Golem room in the Spellhold maze (not the room with the Bag of Holding; the one with the Gesen string), you can break the game by teleporting the golems outside of the room and out of your reach. Since you can't kill the golems, you can never open the door.
The Lifestealer dagger from the Black Pits 2 has the exact same description as the Soultaker dagger from BG1. Perhaps this is common knowledge, though. I don't know.
In EE, it's still possible to grant a character permanent access to any of the wizard shapeshifts.
Basically, you have to shapeshift into the form you want just as the spell's duration is running out. Shapeshifting takes 1.2 seconds, and both spells take tens of rounds to run out, so the timing is difficult (shapeshift continuously to count the rounds). This won't work with the Amulet of Power or Robe of Vecna, and is easier if your character is slowed. The Flail of Ages, Ardulia's Fall, or a jelly attack from another mage can all slow your character.
The way it works is that shapeshifting removes and then restores your shapeshifting abilities, but the spell itself removes your shapeshifting powers, without restoring them, after x number of seconds have passed. But if you shapeshift after x-1 seconds, you will begin the shapeshift before you lose it, and complete it after the base spell attempts to take it away, which restores your shapeshifting ability.
This has limits, however. If you use it to gain permanent access to ogre form via the Polymorph Self spell, you can't gain permanent access to spider form, also from the Polymorph Self spell, without losing the ogre form. This is because the Polymorph Self spell removes the ogre, jelly, flind, spider, wolf, brown bear, and black bear shapeshifts all at once, but you can only carry one of them past the spell duration. Likewise, you can't get permanent access to both Iron Golem and Mind Flayer form, since they both come from Shapechange. You can, however, get an Iron Golem form from Shapechange and a spider form from Polymorph Self.
In vanilla, before EE, you can also prolong all such shapeshifts (and switch from spider form to jelly form to troll form) by killing the character, resting, and bringing them back with the Rod of Resurrection. This can't be done on Charname, since the game ends if he or she dies, but the shapeshifts persist after exporting a character, so you can do it on a multiplayer NPC, export it, and then import it into your next Charname. This method no longer works with EE.
Apparently the fire giants of Icewind Dale 1 (and possibly the frost giants too but I'm not sure) only have 9 Constitution. Those are some flimsy giants!
Comments
The early version of gnolls can be seen, as well as different "lightning" inside the High Hedge.
Most screenshots are obviously from the earlier versions of the game, the same goes for some of the portraits: Edwin, Eldoth and Minsc. The artwork on the CDs themselves is really interesting: different Gnoll than in the actual cinematic, wyvern above the Baldur's Gate city and an awesome Sarevok portrait.
There seem to have been 3 versions of the box at the first release: The US version, the European version and then... the Polish version. I don't know whether the game could be bought in Poland at the initial release, because the one seen on that site was released around 6 months later (translation of both text and audio to Polish took quite some time). I still have those big boxes of the first release (Polish version).
It's awesome that these are preserved to see what the boxes looked back then:
http://www.mobygames.com/game/baldurs-gate/cover-art
There's even a list with all the releases, each has a tab with its cover art:
http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/baldurs-gate-series
no?
I will see myself out.
BG1 has dated a bit worse, but it's still passable.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/44283/bug-discovered-but-a-nice-bug-it-is#latest
It was attacked by yuanti and trolls. The defenders had nothing to keep the trolls down, and as such got overwhelmed.
No wonder that giant outside was fleeing...
So do the clones from Mislead.
Also note that Mislead clones can sing bard songs, and the effects stack. Have all of the clones in that screenshot (there appear to be 101) sing the Improved Bard Song and your main character will get over 500 MR and +400 to hit, damage, and AC.
I actually didn't know that until very recently, even though I've been playing Baldur's Gate for over a decade now.
@elminster odd. It worked perfectly fine in my original game.
Basically, you have to shapeshift into the form you want just as the spell's duration is running out. Shapeshifting takes 1.2 seconds, and both spells take tens of rounds to run out, so the timing is difficult (shapeshift continuously to count the rounds). This won't work with the Amulet of Power or Robe of Vecna, and is easier if your character is slowed. The Flail of Ages, Ardulia's Fall, or a jelly attack from another mage can all slow your character.
The way it works is that shapeshifting removes and then restores your shapeshifting abilities, but the spell itself removes your shapeshifting powers, without restoring them, after x number of seconds have passed. But if you shapeshift after x-1 seconds, you will begin the shapeshift before you lose it, and complete it after the base spell attempts to take it away, which restores your shapeshifting ability.
This has limits, however. If you use it to gain permanent access to ogre form via the Polymorph Self spell, you can't gain permanent access to spider form, also from the Polymorph Self spell, without losing the ogre form. This is because the Polymorph Self spell removes the ogre, jelly, flind, spider, wolf, brown bear, and black bear shapeshifts all at once, but you can only carry one of them past the spell duration. Likewise, you can't get permanent access to both Iron Golem and Mind Flayer form, since they both come from Shapechange. You can, however, get an Iron Golem form from Shapechange and a spider form from Polymorph Self.
In vanilla, before EE, you can also prolong all such shapeshifts (and switch from spider form to jelly form to troll form) by killing the character, resting, and bringing them back with the Rod of Resurrection. This can't be done on Charname, since the game ends if he or she dies, but the shapeshifts persist after exporting a character, so you can do it on a multiplayer NPC, export it, and then import it into your next Charname. This method no longer works with EE.
*Drum-Roll*
I Found This Item: http://baldursgate.wikia.com/wiki/"Plat99" (I Also Wrote The Wiki Article Too..)
[Spoiler]