books

jahes64

Hi all
do i need to keep the books that i find for any quests? or not?

Sylvus_Moonbow

Only those you are asked to find, otherwise they're just for lore purposes and to give more depth to the world you've set out to explore.

Blackraven

There are a few books that you can use to complete a number of optional sidequests. From the top of my head, one in the prologue in Candlekeep, one in Beregost and one in Ulcaster.
Further you'll be given a book by a Duke in Baldur's Gate you need to hold on to, and later an important diary you'll want to hold on to, but you'll know what I'm talking about once you find them. Won't spoil the details.

This is BG1. My knowledge of BG2 isn't as good (anymore), someone else might help you there.

Demonoid_Limewire

No. Books fall under three categories...

1) Books that raise stats. Unique, one of a kind. With the exception of wisdom, there are three.
2) Worthless books, which can be sold to some, not all, vendors. They contain lore of the setting, the game, etc.
3) Books of either 1) or 2) category above, that certain npcs ask you to get as part of a quest.

You are not obliged to complete any secondary quest. With export import you can both use the stat raising wisdom tome and deliver it as a quest requirement. And finally, books are not central to the plot (main quest), except for the book you need to have delivered to Candlekeep's Warden, when you visit it again.

jackjack

I recommend reading all of them, but there's no need to keep any of them afterward. I like to sit down in an inn at the end of a day and peruse them by a warm fire.

Tresset

Confession: I never read most of the books.

lunar

In my first playthrough I have read all of the books in Irenicus's dungeon library. I was amazed by all of the lore and even liked one story (sisters of the light and darkness) so much that I carried it with me for the rest of the game.

In bg1 there are few quests that require certain books. Tale of the lucky coin, Unicorn Vale and Sisters of the Light and Darkness (a special copy found in a dungeon) are what questers need.

In bg2 there is one shady merchant who opens up more shady quests if you purchase 'history of the Zhentarim' book from him.

jahes64

@all
thanks for replies
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i just remember that i gave a book to someone in beregost and he gave me an scroll case as a reward and i think there was a quest in prologue which was broken when i started the game (i was on 2014 version back then).
so where is third important book and to whom shall i deliver it?

lunar

-Lucky coin book for Firebead in Beregost
-Unicorn vale book for a lady bard in Baldurs gate, her house is near Duchal Palace.
-Sisters of the light and darkness copy from the Ulcaster dungeon for the ghost of Ulcaster:this apparition can be found around the ruins during certain hours of the day. Talk to him a few times till he gives you the quest.

jahes64

@lunar
so there is 4 quest related books.
thanks for the answer.

lunar

Yeah if you count Phyldia at tutorial episode, four quests that involve mundane books in bg1 AFAIK. In bg2 a quest line opens up if you purchase a book from a certain merchant. Decidedly, there are less fetch-me-something quests in bg2, and it shows.