Could someone give me a crash course on BG2?
odessa333
Member Posts: 59
Hi all!
I was a HUGE Baldur's gate fan in the day, but have not played it in years. Plus, I NEVER played Baldur's gate 2, as I heard it killed Dynaheir, one of my fave characters. With the enhanced editions, I am thinking of changing that, playing some new combinations of main character, and going from BG:EE to BG2: EE eventually. Still, I am a tad nervous, as I never have played with these new classes (Monk, Sorcerer, Barbarian), Kits, etc. More importantly, I keep coming back to the recurring characters in BG2, and how things have changed... I mean, poor Dynaheir! Could anyone tell me is considered a 'canon' character, and who from BG1 shows up in number 2, etc? I already pre-purchased BG:EE, but I keep wavering on whether I should acknowledge BG2 exists.
I don't know if this makes sense, but essentially I'm looking for some spoilers on BG2 on who returns and/or is mentioned (such as again, Dynaheir as you can't really say she returns), who's canon, etc. Any help is appreciated!
I was a HUGE Baldur's gate fan in the day, but have not played it in years. Plus, I NEVER played Baldur's gate 2, as I heard it killed Dynaheir, one of my fave characters. With the enhanced editions, I am thinking of changing that, playing some new combinations of main character, and going from BG:EE to BG2: EE eventually. Still, I am a tad nervous, as I never have played with these new classes (Monk, Sorcerer, Barbarian), Kits, etc. More importantly, I keep coming back to the recurring characters in BG2, and how things have changed... I mean, poor Dynaheir! Could anyone tell me is considered a 'canon' character, and who from BG1 shows up in number 2, etc? I already pre-purchased BG:EE, but I keep wavering on whether I should acknowledge BG2 exists.
I don't know if this makes sense, but essentially I'm looking for some spoilers on BG2 on who returns and/or is mentioned (such as again, Dynaheir as you can't really say she returns), who's canon, etc. Any help is appreciated!
0
Comments
Returning Party Members: Imoen, Minsc, Jaheira, Edwin, Viconia
1. Dynaheir is dead in BG2, so is Khalid
2. BG2 starts with CHARNAME, Imoen, Minsc and Jaheria(meaning, you all start in the same dungeon. You can choose them to be or not be in your party.)
3. Xzar and Montaron appear in BG2, but only Xzar can join your party. Montaron is said to have been transformed into a bird by the Harpers(in fact, he had been killed by them).
4. Edwin appears in BG2 and HE can join your party.
5. Quayle appears in BG2 but he cannot join your party, but his step-niece Aerie can. They are both located in the circus tent in Waukeen's Promenade.
6. Viconia appears in BG2 and she can join your party, if you choose to rescue her... It's a long story.
About Monk, Sorcerer, Barbarian classes. Monk and Barbarian seem to be kinda underpowered. The sorcerer is a very potent class.
About BG2. Play it as soon as possible. You won't regret it.
It's good though, my personal favourite of the two, the death of characters like Dynaheir only made the game more interesting to play. There are other great joinable NPCs to be found that you may like just as much as Dynaheir. BG2 has a stronger storyline (imo) and is MUCH more character and NPC orinetated but far less adverture orientated.
My recommendation, play it
EE-series seems like the perfect opportunity to get the full experience from beginning to end. Here is ALL you need to know if you want to follow the "canon" story: Your BG1 party should consist of (besides the protagonist) Imoen, Khalid & Jaheira, Minsc & Dynaheir. Done. No spoilers. Enjoy.
I also had a feeling of "omg, this can't be happening, why did they go to such a dark place in their storytelling?" the first time I played.
But in time I came to accept it and to appreciate the evolution in the maturity of the characters of Charname, Imoen, Minsc, and Jaheira. You and Jaheira will talk and console each other about Khalid through the whole game, especially if you are playing a male. You will keep Minsc's spirits up (not that that's too hard with Minsc), and he has a chance to move on with a new witch if you recruit her. The characters become older and wiser, not to mention more powerful. The whole game can be about avenging Khalid and Dynaheir if you play it that way.
Now, years later, the BG2 story and characters are like a part of my life. BG is one of the best stories ever written, imo, right up there with the Star Wars Trilogy and the Belgariad on my list of powerful mind-blowing stories.
By letting the death of one character put you off ever getting to know new ones...you just shortened the reason for living.
Just play it. If you really end up hating it, everyone here will be shocked. I don't consider "BG2" to really be a sequel anyway. I consider Baldur's Gate just one game that perfectly intertwines within itself.
Besides, Dynaheir and Khalid's death are some of the most poignant plot points in BG2. It turns Jaheira into an extremely interesting character and the dynamics of the relationship you can build with her are pretty awesome. It also makes Minsc slightly deeper than "point my sword and I shall smite evil" because there's a hint of sadness underlying him. He's still comic relief but there is at least a hint of depth now.
This villain not only captured and tortured you, he did the same thing to a loyal childhood friend and killed two of your friends.
That was my motivation in my first playthrough.
With regard to engine changes:
You can dual-wield if you equip a weapon in your offhand.
The sprites and paperdolls are changed. I prefer the ones in 2, but it's subjective.
There are a lot of spell changes, with quite a few new & useful ones.
New classes:
Barbarian is very similar to a fighter. They get d12 HP per level, can put 2 pips in weapons and get a speed boost. They also get rage, a temporary self-buff. However, they cannot get weapon mastery and can only wear at most chainmail.
Monk is a melee class that gets unarmed buffs. They start out weak but get very tough, with magic res, poison immunity, AC increases, speed boosts, and up to D20+x unarmed damage. They can't wear armour and start out kittenishly soft though.
Sorcerer is a mage-like class that can only know a limited number of spells but can cast them many times a day. They're less versatile than a mage but can be incredibly tough with the right spell choices.
Most classes now have kits, variants on the main class that trade off some bonuses for new or changed abilities. Some kits are specialists in one thing, others trade specific bonuses for more generic increases.