Unpopular opinions
JuliusBorisov
Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
An idea has come to me to make a thread where we can share unpopular opinions about things in BG and other IE games.
1. Cernd is far from being useless NPC.
In fact, he has tons of high-level druid spells and if CHARNAME is not a druid, than by not having a second class Cernd offers a lot of variety in lvl 6-7 spells if compared to Jaheira. If use the high-level druid spells right, almost any fight in SoA becomes a lot easier.
2. Darts can be a good choice as a ranged weapon for a fighter.
Thalantyr's shop in BG1 has tons of useful darts, Sorcerous Sundries make it even better. There's an unlimited +3 dart on the first level of the Watcher's Keep, available not long after escaping from the Irenicus dungeon. Darts provide 3 APR and with addition APR from specialization and fighter class your darts stay a wonderful weapon from the Candlekeep and to the Hell.
3. 2 thieves in a party is not too much.
I prefer to focus on setting traps and dispelling illusions with one of them and to hide in shadows for backstabs with another. Also, there're Open Locks and Disarm Traps skills. There're always multi-class options available. For example, your character can be a multiclass fighter/thief with amazing backstabs while Tiax or Jan Jansen is focused on setting traps to the place you lure your enemies to. Or maybe a half-orc assassin for backstabs and poison weapon and Hexxat for other thieving skills.
4. Mazzy's relatively low starting STR is not a problem.
She has innate Strength spell, there're lots of STR-enhancing items in BG2, so that leaves you with a shorty fighter (and thus all saving throws bonuses) who has a chance to become GM in any weapon you like (or choose a standard short bow proficiency providing 5 APR with the Tuigan bow).
5. Keep trying using every and each consumables in any fight if you have any.
You won't believe how easier it will become if your fighters nearly always have 22-23 STR for fights and get their saving throws improved drastically. Wands will often be enough to defeat even bosses.
Carry on! Share the things that are relatively not popular among BG fans.
1. Cernd is far from being useless NPC.
In fact, he has tons of high-level druid spells and if CHARNAME is not a druid, than by not having a second class Cernd offers a lot of variety in lvl 6-7 spells if compared to Jaheira. If use the high-level druid spells right, almost any fight in SoA becomes a lot easier.
2. Darts can be a good choice as a ranged weapon for a fighter.
Thalantyr's shop in BG1 has tons of useful darts, Sorcerous Sundries make it even better. There's an unlimited +3 dart on the first level of the Watcher's Keep, available not long after escaping from the Irenicus dungeon. Darts provide 3 APR and with addition APR from specialization and fighter class your darts stay a wonderful weapon from the Candlekeep and to the Hell.
3. 2 thieves in a party is not too much.
I prefer to focus on setting traps and dispelling illusions with one of them and to hide in shadows for backstabs with another. Also, there're Open Locks and Disarm Traps skills. There're always multi-class options available. For example, your character can be a multiclass fighter/thief with amazing backstabs while Tiax or Jan Jansen is focused on setting traps to the place you lure your enemies to. Or maybe a half-orc assassin for backstabs and poison weapon and Hexxat for other thieving skills.
4. Mazzy's relatively low starting STR is not a problem.
She has innate Strength spell, there're lots of STR-enhancing items in BG2, so that leaves you with a shorty fighter (and thus all saving throws bonuses) who has a chance to become GM in any weapon you like (or choose a standard short bow proficiency providing 5 APR with the Tuigan bow).
5. Keep trying using every and each consumables in any fight if you have any.
You won't believe how easier it will become if your fighters nearly always have 22-23 STR for fights and get their saving throws improved drastically. Wands will often be enough to defeat even bosses.
Carry on! Share the things that are relatively not popular among BG fans.
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Comments
At least, with the ToB improved alacrity HLA.
The improved alacrity in addition to some casting time lowering items and contingencies simply allow you to cast spells so quickly that it becomes a waste to fill a 9th level spell slot with a time stop IMHO.
In vanilla SoA without a ToB installed it had its uses though, i admit. But since that isn't the case with BG2EE...
Also hugely underrated IMO is Viconia - but thankfully that misconception has recently been corrected in this thread https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/42849/viconia-and-usefulness#latest
In chapter 6, all of a sudden, Ribald had many scrolls to help your mage defeat the main foe.
Speaking of which, despite Alora being found so late in the game her Lucky Rabbit's Foot makes her super hype.
– Armor Class: +2
– Saving Throws: +2
– Find Traps: +10%
– Pick Pockets: +10%
– Move Silently: +10%
– Hide In Shadows: +10%
– Detect Illusion: +10%
– Set Traps: +10%
– Luck: +2
Probably one of the coolest items in the game. I also believe that luck bonus gives +2 to hit which offsets the -2 for two weapon fighting. So she'll still have a -4 to it with offhand weapons but no penalty on her main hand.
-magic missile sucks
-dual classes suck
-improved haste is not a substitute for GWW
-timestop sucks(only because its bugged though)
-cleric/mage sucks
considering it took about 10 years to sway the public opinion that Anomen might be better than Viconia, thats still a long way to go. Although judging by this thread the Timestop myth is slowly being debunked too.
thieves are a completely untapped territory, my guess is - 100 years to go yet before people realize that Detect Illusions is better than True Sight.
-imoen is a figment of charnames imagination
-bg2ee shouldn't have included ToB
-ToB isn't canon
Clubs, with a speed factor of 4, are the fastest one-handed weapons of the crushing damage type!
Clubs, with a lightweight of 3 lbs., are also the lightest one-handed weapons of the crushing damage type!
Clubs can be wielded even by milkdrinkers who possess a measly strength score of 5!
Clubs are not affected by the Iron Crisis and its brittle iron ore which haunts every merchant in Baldur's Gate!
Clubs are love~! Clubs are life~! ! Clubs are cute and thus justice~! ! !
Umm, how about I finished BG the first time with Ajantis, Yeslick, Quayle, Xan, and Garrick? That's like 2 for 5 in popular opinion.
The spell Polymorph Self: Mustard Jelly is more useful than any of the Shapechange forms.
Half-Orcs make the best single classed Thieves in the games. Packing an *oomph* is more important than some racial minor thieving skill bonuses.
Faldorn has the cutest portrait of all the original NPC's~
The greatest fault of the Pocket Plane is that it doesn't have one, single toilet.
2. Cernd is one of the best divine spell casters in the game.
He levels up faster than Jaheira, and Viconia. He gets to higher level divine spells faster. Lastly, he isn't an illegal multi-class like Assnomen Anomen.
-There is nothing wrong with npc's that won't get engaged in physical combat, such as Cernd or Viconia. It doesn't make them bad companions.
-Oh, and saying that Archers are bad because they won't be able to hurt like five or six enemies in the whole game is not very smart.
Edit: Yes, I know I'm saying this with an Aerie avatar. Your point?
He wants us to believe his 5 points are not popular
Next ball - shoot again...
Hexxat sucks. She's the Special Snowflake of the entire series and it shows. There, I said it. A strong independent black lesbian vampire from Chult with 20 STR and 20 DEX who don't need no man. Were they picking a handful of traits from a hat and just went with it or something? With overpowered primary stats to make sure people will use her? She is a mere step above Saerileth. Clara earns a chunking in every playthrough.
The writing of the EE companions is so starkly different from the originals that its painfully, exasperated-sigh-inducingly obvious. Rasaad is the only acceptable one, but having all those snarky responses to give him at every juncture makes said snarkiness less stinging. Its not special if you can give him one for every response.
Chromatic orb is overrated. A +6 save bonus to the secondary effect means it hardly ever happens and is only useful if you're attempting to save-scum a dragon or something.
Dwarves are the best race for any class combination they can use just because of their massive saving throw boosts. There is no reason to be a human for classes that dwarves can take.
Multi-classed Fighter/Thieves are better than dual-classed Fighter (2/7/9/13) -> Thieves.
Aerie is the best cleric because she can wear the Robe of Vecna.
Wilson. Wasted Potential: The NPC. He is just awful. Hardly any dialog and dies all the time because he can't wear anything.
Valygar is incredible. Also I like his personality. Yes, he has one.
Cernd isn't that bad. He has his moments. Those metaphors he uses to compare Edwina to nature tickle me every time I read them.
Teleport Field will prevent more damage than Stoneskin.
"Cheesy" tactics are okay.
Lightning Bolt is the most damaging level 3 spell.
Dual-classes are boring at the start because they have too few options, boring in the middle because they're the only characters without HLAs, and boring at the end because their first class has little impact on gameplay.
Druids and clerics are equals.
Power Attack and Hardiness are the best fighter HLAs.
We underestimate the popularity of our own opinions because we think other people aren't as smart and wise and cool and attractive as we are.