So, just HOW MANY points exactly, i need to invest in EACH AND EVERY thief skill...?
Demonoid_Limewire
Member Posts: 424
In order to do EVERYTHING successfully, surely, and be able to use them to their fullest extent? After a quite large research and full of details, i got word that i should put: 1) 255 into move silently, and 2) 145 into hide in shadows.
Now, what about all the rest? HOW much to raise the remaining stats? I want to do everything there is, WITHOUT potions or enhancers. Please, help? And i know that i have to raise pick pockets very much, but HOW much exactly, so it can function at FULL capacity???
Now, what about all the rest? HOW much to raise the remaining stats? I want to do everything there is, WITHOUT potions or enhancers. Please, help? And i know that i have to raise pick pockets very much, but HOW much exactly, so it can function at FULL capacity???
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Find traps: 100
Set traps: 100
Detect illusions: 100
HiS/MS: up to 255 for each
Pickpocketing: up to 255
The first four will always work at 100. The remaining 3 have no limit, so you could go all the way up to 255. Don't go beyond that number though, because due to some kind engine limitation or bug anything beyond 255 is counted from 0 again. However, to be good at stealth and pickpocketing it's not necessary to go all the way to 255 in each skill. In my experience 100 or maybe a bit more in HiS/MS is usually sufficient for realiable stealth. For stealth in broad daylight you'll want a higher score though, more towards 150-175. For pickpocketing 150+ usually works, but by late SoA and in ToB you'll find targets that require an even higher picketpocketing score to be able to reliably steal from them. Those are only a few targets though. I wouldn't bother investing that many points in pickpockets, but rather use potions.
Edit: included the word *not* in the third line, quite essential
[spoiler]The reason values higher than 255 start at 0 and continue going is because it is a 8-bit byte value rather than 16-bit.
This is 255: 11111111
That's basic binary—it goes from 1 to 128, reading from right to left.
This is 260: 100000100
Inclusive of possible bonuses, let's say you manage to get 310. That's 100110110.
To answer the question in the original post, I would heed @Blackraven. There is very little point in having more than 100 in the top four items. For the most part, I will typically ignore Detect Illusions—my usual maximum for that one is about 50.
https://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/370098/#Comment_370098
For instance, I wouldn't really bother raising pickpocket that high. I think there's only a few merchants where you benefit from having 200+ PP, and it's easy enough to boost the skill with potions anyways.
BG2 takes place indoors much more than BG1, so the penalty from trying to hide while in sunlight isn't as big of an issue. Even if you just raise HIS and MS to 100+, I think you'd be fine for the most part.
Also, You can get away with 75 in open locks if you have the ring of lock picks.
My advice is to remember about some useful items and numbers.
Pick locks: 75 - The ring of lock picking gives a +25. A potion can boost you before you find it.
Find traps: 75 - The ring of danger sense gives a +25. A potion can boost you before you find it.
Set traps: 100 - Especially if you use a lot of traps!
Detect illusions: 100 - A very underrated skill. I boost it in BG!
HiS/MS: All your spare points but remember there are more items in the game that boosts these stats. Also 200 in both so boost last, remember the invisibility spell is easy to get and use and more reliable early game!
Pickpocketing: 95 - You need 95 as a basic to steal everything you can before boosting with potions.
I shoot for that value, but (typically) it will be with this prioritization/weighting (BG2 only, BG1 is a different animal):
First 2 chapters or so:
Find traps (much more common than in BG1)
Pick Pockets, Pick locks (it's much more worth it to use these than in BG1-especially pick pockets)
Chapter 4-Chapter 5:
Detect illusions (hidden doors are much more prevalent and can help you get a better strategic approach to some battles)
Set Traps (for trap cheese, hehe)
After everything else is in the 90's-110's:
HiS/MS I leave these lowest priority because invis potions are much easier to come by in BG2.
Ya gotta admit tho... ogre mages! (insert "Aliens" meme here).
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/20317/changes-to-pick-pocketing
You need, as the table shows, that skill level before bonuses through potions to steal things.
No need to raise it higher than 95, although having 95 does not mean you will automatically be able to steal it. You have to beat a spot check.
Behold Eldoth. Currently being boosted by the dexterity gauntlets at level 7 he has 80 pickpocket. He can't pickpocket Drizzt's scimitars with an amount this low.
However, give Eldoth a Potion of Master Thievery and he can do so.
Spoilered to avoid taking up too much space
Just a random picture that includes my party and Drizzt (just because I guess)
Eldoth's character page pre-potion (notice 80 pickpocketing and that his dexterity is being boosted by the guantlets to 18)
Inventory with potion in it (its next to the wolf cloak)
Pick Pocket successful
Inventory (Drizzt's scimitar in it now)
Character sheet with potion active on it
Like every other thief skill any check is done after bonuses (or penalties I suppose) are applied.
Pick locks: 100
Find traps: 120. 100 will be enough most of the game, 120 for certain traps in Watcher Keep -Tana'ari room and Demon Wraith fight- 140 for a couple devious traps in Saradush prison level 2 before entering Gromnir's Stronghold.
Set traps: 100 for automatic success.
Detect illusions: 100 A very useful skill to free True Sight slots in your mages books or if you don't have Keldorn in your party.
Hide in Shadows and Move Silently: have the exact same effect in game, 160 Hide in shadows and 160 MS guarantee successful hide in shadows indoors, 200 outdoors in daytime. Put all remaining points in here, more is better except against dragons, you can run but you cannot hide.
Pickpocketing: 200. Starting 195 only Bernard in the Copper Coronet can catch you stealing from him, the bugger requires up to 225 to steal from and you still have a 5% chance of failure no matter your skill. Haven't ever been caught with Pickpocket at these values: Waukeen Promenade Scroll merchant: 170, Adventurer's Mart scroll merchant: 175, Mrs. Cragmoon and various Athkatla fences: 180, Trademeet merchants: 185, Drow city merchants and Sister Garlena at top of Watcher's Keep: 190, Gorch, fat guy at Mae'Var's guildhall: 195.
In 1.3 he is actually using them so you can't steal them.
For stealth (the average of HIS and MS), 100 allows you always hide while in ideal conditions. 150 allows you to always hide while indoors and exposed to light. 200 allows you to always hide while outdoors and exposed to light. Those last two are based on the results of an experiment that were posted on the Bioware forums way back, that indicated that hiding indoors in light and outdoors in light reduced your effective stealth score by 1/3 and 1/2, respectively. Also, in any situation, you have a 5% chance to fail, regardless of stealth ability.
Of course hide in shadows means you must be in a shadow for no penalty, there is always a penalty of 30% indoors, cause all area are considered well lit, while the penalty outdoors is 50% for daytime in a well lit area. There is no bonus for hiding nighttime between 22:00 and 06:00 outdoors.
I read the minimum is 1% chance to fail hiding under all circumstances, it correspond to what I experienced in my playthroughs, the 5% being applied to pickpocket.
Granted the statute of limitation precludes me taking action on a ~15 yr old game, but still