How do you go to Spellhold early?
UnderstandMouseMagic
Member Posts: 2,147
I never play without doing all the quests in Chapter 2, head to Spellhold, straight run to the end.
However, I would like this run to do SH early because I'm trying the "Kivan" Mod.
I'm finding it difficult to either RP or to decide which Chapter 2 quests can be completed later.
Would love to have an excuse as to why, having been rendered souless (and that being a big deal according to the game) and a hidden city under siege, I would head off to Windspear for instance.
So was hoping for some recommendations from people as to how they do it.
Which minimum amount of quests do they do?
Which ones are "must do's"?
I really wish the game didn't link the Underdark to Spellhold and that there was a break where you came "home", It's such a huge chunk of the game and you are trapped in it.
However, I would like this run to do SH early because I'm trying the "Kivan" Mod.
I'm finding it difficult to either RP or to decide which Chapter 2 quests can be completed later.
Would love to have an excuse as to why, having been rendered souless (and that being a big deal according to the game) and a hidden city under siege, I would head off to Windspear for instance.
So was hoping for some recommendations from people as to how they do it.
Which minimum amount of quests do they do?
Which ones are "must do's"?
I really wish the game didn't link the Underdark to Spellhold and that there was a break where you came "home", It's such a huge chunk of the game and you are trapped in it.
2
Comments
RP is a bit tricky to work out, depending on how you see things. The classic argument is "I'm not yet prepared to face this", which works both ways: delaying your departure to Spellhold, and/or delaying your showdown with Big I at the end. Sure, there are pressing matters, but that doesn't mean you rush things without preparation, right?
Set it to 100k and you have reason enough to stay in Atkathla for a while.
I always leave SH till as late as possible, that makes sense to me.
This run, I want to do it earlier.
I have read posters saying they always rush to get Imoen early because they want her to level up/get experience. I was hoping to get some pointers as to how they do this.
Do any quests you have picked up, not because you wanted them but you aren't given much choice, get timed out?
Thinking about "Unseeing Eye" in particular.
I can go now TBH, having done Planar Prison (wanted Haer Dalis) and he moans a lot if you don't.
And Planer Sphere, because decided I don't want to take Valygar after all so thought I'd get that out of the way.
Same with D'arnis Keep, Nalia is rather forward about helping her (lol) and no FOA, unthinkable.
Go to Windspear Hills.
Don't go with Garren Windspear, you need to leave early on important, Imoen saving, business.
From that day onwards you'll be attacked by Paladin squads packing level 8 spells and five guys in Full Plate Armour whenever you're in Athkatla. Selling their equipment should get you the 15k you need in one go (I used this to earn a good proportion of the 200k for my CHARNAME who wasn't paying attention when they mentioned the 20k amount...), gives you a valid reason to skip town, and when you finally return you'll have a reason to go back to Windspear and clear your name because you're still wanted by the authorities, and you "can't" go ask the Radiant Heart for help against Bodhi's vampiric menace until you do.
I often complete the Copper Coronet Slaver's quest and Trademeet + Druid Grove, plus some other smaller side quests in Athkatla but not always.
It also depends on my main character class and party as sometimes I will want to get specific gear first.
I do like having a number of things to do after Spellhold though, which is usually the reason to go early(ish).
But at low level, don't the Paladins keep "kicking your arse"?
Makes sense to stay close to Athkatla not head off for the hills.
I mean, why would you with your sister under control of Torquemada?
But and here's the biggie, struggling through the Underdark underpowered and with crap equipment?
Being forced to take a path that really you weren't looking for.
I love the game, don't get me wrong and have played since release.
But SH, then Sauhagin City, then Underdark with no choices is a real weakness.
The problem is occuring because of the Kivan mod.
Great mod but you have to speak to Aphril(sp) in Spellhold.
Having messed up the first time, and still not sure if I've figured it out right, don't want to waste too much time again.
If things do go poorly, none of them have ranged weapons, so as long as you've killed the mage (always, always kill the mage_, you can kite the rest with boots of speed.
Also notable that none of the paladins can see invisible either, and the game always handed out the potions like candy.
I also won't go as early if I don't want Imoen in my end party. It always amuses and confuses me about how guilty I feel when I boot her.
The quest starts when the cleric ask you to reach him inside the temple, not when you agree to investigqate about the new cult. Maybe if you go inside the temple and accept the quest the timing problem vanish, because I waited too much and then in the dialogue options the cleric did not give me the quest, but if you accept the quest from him then there is no time limit to accomplish the mission given, never tryed. or maybe in EE is not timed at all.
Usually if I want to rescue Haer Dalis or go to the sewers for other reasons (axe, cloack or fence) I go inside of the temple of Lathander and exit from the other door so I don't trigger the cutscene that starts the Unseeing Eye qyest.
I'm starting Chapter 4 when the party has 4 million xp in total, fighters are Level 10 and multi-classes are Level 9/Level 10 or so.
Get companion NPC's asap but only do just enough to get them to join your party - save the rest until Imoen is back
Get companions: Keldorn, Aerie (do Quest) and Jan (having Minsc and Jaheira already)
Focus on advancing Jaheira's romance
Pick Ribald's pockets for the Ring of Regeneration (use Jan)
Q: Go to De'Arnise Hold to get the Flail of Ages +3 (and a lot of gold)
Pick more pockets (major PP round: Boomerang Dagger +2, Light X-bow +2)
Consider to buy: Girdle of Hill Giant Strength, Shield +2, 2x Sling +2 (with REP still at 12)
Q: Rescue the bird (Montaron) from the Harper's Hold (part of Jaheira's romance)
Get the Ring of Wizardry (part of Jaheira's romance)
Get the Horn of Valhalla and the Boots of Avoidance
Get illithium
Get the Pale Green Ioun Stone
Q: Get the Mace of Disruption and upgrade it with the illithium (during main quest)
Optional: Do Anomen's quest part 1 (if he is a party member)
Challenge Liches to get the Ring of Gaxx! Or: wait until after Trademeet
Q: Do Hexxat's quest part 1 (Bag of Holding)
Q: Increase Reputation (REP) (save Viconia first)
Q: Do the Back Rooms quest in the Copper Coronet
Major sell of loot to get a lot of gold to soon buy good items
Q: Do Nalia's quest part 1
Q's: Go to Trademeet to get the Shield of Harmony and REP 20 for buying items cheaply
Buy great items in Trademeet
Q: Do Rasaad's quest part 1 and 2 (Cloak of Unerring Strikes)
Buy great items in Athkatla
Q: Do Nalia's quest part 2
Get stored equipment and scrolls to take for Imoen
Instigate Chapter 4.
Leave Chez Irenicus, meet with Gaelan Bayle, figure out how much it will cost, head to the docks, potion up, steal/resell, head back to Gaelan, and give him the money. Done. Meet with the Shadow Thief leader, do his quests, buy a scroll of Protection from Undead, mop up the graveyard, and head to Spellhold. Everyone will be underpowered but it works.
If I really have to do it I prefer to cluaconsole in the needed amount of GP.
but there are 4 fences in the game, and you can sell and steal every expensive item to a regular merchant and then to each fence, only 1 time each one. that is relistic (as long as is realistic the way steal is implemented in BG2).
This way you can have all the items from the merchants you can not steal, or that is wise not to steal, for free, selling them 5 times pays them and more, and earn a lot of money from the stuff you lot from enemies.
The issue of Breaking the economy of the game remains, and if some players decide to not do it they have a lot of reasons to avoid it. Having all the best stuff you can buy very early spoils the satisfation to be finally able to buy that marvellous RoV, or +1APR Xbow, or strenght belt.
But at least you do it whith some style......
Some runs I let my thief drink only 1 potion each time, or maybe let stack 1 of each potion that improves thief capability, and in others I even choose to don't reload if I fail to steal. Or to reaload but never steal again from that merchant or fence. Then the whole thing gets a completely new flavour, and becomes part of the power of a thief, and at the cost of delayng other thief skills, for some kits nerfing some skils at all. If you let the potions stack then lv3 Nalia can become the better thief in the game. Doing like that not only is no more a cheap thing, but improoves the balance between the classes.
"I never do it. Even suspending disbelief I find that very cheap, you have to suspend to much....
If I really have to do it I prefer to cluaconsole in the needed amount of GP.
but there are 4 fences in the game, and you can sell and steal every expensive item to a regular merchant and then to each fence, only 1 time each one. that is relistic (as long as is realistic the way steal is implemented in BG2).
This way you can have all the items from the merchants you can not steal, or that is wise not to steal, for free, selling them 5 times pays them and more, and earn a lot of money from the stuff you lot from enemies."
That's pretty much what i do as well, i only sell one particular fenced item to each vendor who will buy it, and i also give them a fictive amount of gold they have available to purchase my stolen shit, usually around 10k each. This way i can afford only the crucial premium items early game (robe of vecna, girdle of hill giant) and i'm gonna grind the rest out with the gold i find from questing.
If is realistic that the best merchant in the game has a hudge amount of gold to invest in his buisness pretending that every shopkeeper can on spot buy from you for the amount of GP that could allow to live the rest of his life in a marvellous palace filled whith servants.
And you set a limit to the infinite gold trick, you have more gold availlable in early game, but still you have to choose how to better invest that limited gold.
Also in almost all my game I cheat in a bottomless Bag of Holding, that helps me a lot in inventoy management, but also allow me to collect more loot in areas where merchants are not availlable.
I don't feel guilty even if I know that I am cheating (but I will feel very guilty and cheap performing some other possible cheats).
I had runs whitout BoH, I had runs where my party was loosing days acting like mules carriing stuff from one area to the other just to sell it and have more money.
I don't like to transform my gaming in an inventory management nightmare, or in a quest to rise money, and whith the mods I use You need a lot of money to upgrade or buy items. So I also use a mod for infinite staking of potions, scrolls and ammunitions.
But I see how infinite gold wight from the beginning alter the balance of the early and mid game, to do it , and at which extent, or not doing it is player's choice.
The only important thing is to be clear about that when we write an boards about our runs. Dealing whith a difficoult quest right after Chateau Irenicus whith all the expensive equipment potentially availlable is very different from doing it whith only mundane or low enchantment items.
Gold is different. It's an actual challenge element because it limits your options during early game. That being said, it is not hard to make gold even without "creative" ways like stealing/re-selling. And there's only so much you even WANT to buy.
On a side note, I also use the console teleport to get around things like city areas. I don't see why I should sit there for three minutes watching my party make their way more or less efficiently from one end of the Docks to the other. It's different when there's enemies in the way etc. but in areas where you're literally just wasting time until they get where you want them to be? Teleport it is.
OK so I did SH earlier than I have ever completed it before. But not nearly as early as FM are saying they do it.
So now wandering the Underdark.
And wow am I p"ssed.
I haven't done the UD for about 10 years so underpowered or lacking equipment. I also don't have a particularly balanced party, Haer D and Kivan don't really like to slog it out toe to toe, it kills them so that's understandable.
Though saying that, I did stock a full wand of Cloudkill and Fire.
It's not that it's impossible, it's just frustrating. But then it has caused me to take the game more seriously than I have lately.
So I suppose that is good in itself.
Thank you for all the replies, some good ideas and will maybe try them on another run.
They was kicking my ....... , lots of reloads, not for the main battle, just for the skirmishes before it.
Utterly frustrating, but the first time that I had seen the light of the sun going out of that nightmare, whithout cheating, whithout easy cheese and whithout cheap triks, then........
And I had to take the game a lot more seriously, that challenge has done of me a stronger player, who can make the better use of low level spells, low level characters, of how to use at your advantage the enviroment (now I know by hart the light map of the area and the points where hide in shadows has high % of result and so on), as to impose my rules of the game and not to suffer the initiative of the enemy.
Is whith a low level party facing a difficoult situation that you really learn how to play, whith a party whith maxed stats, overlevelled whith tricks like erasing/memorizing spells, and all the OP equipment that there is in the game are stats equipment and level that win the battles, not you. Every sorcerer whith RoV, SoTM, IA, Planetar and Dragon Breath can easily win the hardest battles, but give that sorc only a +1 staff and very few healing potions, forget his high level spells and send him solo against hard enemies, now you'll find the real weight of him. Sorc or any other class, he is just the better example of that.
So be very happy of your situation in the Underdark!
Frustration, effort and study are the price that has to be payed to improove.
also when I finish up all of aran linvail's nonsense I will buy the shield of balduran before I leave for spell hold, because there is a certain part in the underdark that makes that shield a life saver
but if your gold is a little short, you can always do the renal bloodscalp quest, not only is there LOTS of money everywhere but when you finish renal will give you a whooping 10500 gold and the short sword of backstabbing +3 (which can be sold for 2100 I believe) and one good thing about renal's quest, it's pitifully easy, and your party level doesn't have any effect on the baddies you fight ( although you will need +2 weapons for the 2 stone golems you battle, and a breach spell for the one wizard you battle) but other than that, piece of cake, lots of gold, easy to get, easy to do and then you can be on your way