What are the best weapon/armor/miscellaneous items for a Cleric/Ranger to carryover from BG1 to BG2?

Nerva

On the Dudleyville website it has tables showing what armor and miscellaneous items can be carried over if you have them in the BG1 savegame (does it work with just a CHR file import?) when you start a BG2 game.

http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/miscellany.htm

The odd thing is, I've run across an archived version of that Dudleyville page that also includes a table for weapons that can be carried over:

https://archive.li/X2izs

Anyways, my question is, since you can only carry over one item from each table, what are people's thoughts on what the best items are to carry over from BG1, particularly if I'm importing a Cleric/Ranger character? And can anyone confirm if weapons are carried over, or is it just armor and miscellaneous items? Do you guys typically carry over the items that are the most useful in the early game, or do you go for whatever has the highest value when selling it?

malachi151

I never bring anything over. It mostly seems cheesy to me to do so.

ThacoBell

Well, outfit your character as you see best in BG1. You will either get part of your kit back, or else will get the default plus a special weapon based on your proficiencies. Don't sweat it too much, its a short list and the default stuff is still quite good early on and you are guanteed a weapon that you can effectively wield.

Nerva

Looking at the BG wiki articles on the various armors, the Chain Mail +3 is described as the best armor in the game for Bards -- while my character is a Cleric/Ranger, I do plan on having Haer'Dalis in my party, so the CM+3 would seem to have a unique advantage vs. the other armors in terms of long-term usefulness?

Am I right in thinking the armor would not otherwise be available in BG2 if I don't carry it over from BG1?

Is the CM+3 really the best armour is for Bards?

Otherwise it looks like Fallorain's Plate has the best AC and is valued at 5,000 GP, while the wiki does not list a value for the CM+3.

joluv

Chain Mail +3 has value 6500 GP. Especially in BG2, it's usually better for Bards not to wear any armor that disables spellcasting.

Nerva

When it comes to weapons, Arla's Dragonbane (Sling +3) is on the list, and the wiki says it appears in both BG1 (Durlag's Tower) and BG2 (Temple Ruins). But the question is, if I import it from BG1, will I find a second one at the Temple Ruins, or does the game treat it as unique? Given that I'm a Cleric/Ranger and I plan on keeping Jaheira in my party, both of us could have use for it.

Also, the wiki article on importing from BG1EE into BG2EE says it imports the vanilla "Sling +3" (apparently SLNG10), but what you find in Durlag's Tower is Arla's Dragonbane +3 (SLNG05). If I'm editing a CHR file to import the +3 sling, do I give it the Sling +3 (SLNG10) or Arla's Dragonbane +3 (SLNG05)?

joluv

The item you actually want is SLNG03; the item SLNG05 doesn't exist in BG1:EE, and SLNG10 will not carry over. If the BG1:EE version of Arla's Dragonbane (SLNG03) is carried over, then the BG2:EE version of Arla's Dragonbane (SLNG05) will be replaced by a generic Sling +3 (SLNG10) in the Temple Ruins.

Nerva

Thank you -- that's exactly what I needed to know!

James_M

For a front-line Cleric/Ranger: Fallorain's Plate Mail +1 in inventory or on person (doesn't matter which); Golden Pantaloons in inventory. That's it! Do not import a weapon, you don't need it. No weapons carry over from BG1 in the original BG2 because it makes the game too easy, IMO. If you insist, however, I'd choose Arla's Dragonbane, the Sling +3, but wouldn't use it! Instead, we use some gold to buy a Sling +2 (gives THAC0 +2, damage +2) from Ribald or Gorsch very early in the game. Or, do the Back Rooms quest in the Copper Coronet and buy the Sling of Seeking +2 from Bernard's updated inventory.

ThacoBell

None of the BG1 weapons are really THAT good in BG2. They are likely to be out done by 3-4 quests completed.

Nerva

That was kind of my thinking... there's a ton of better weapons in BG2, so the criteria should not be what the best weapon is at the end of BG1, since I'll upgrade soon anyway. That's also why I was thinking the Sling +3 might be the way to go, since the only step-ups are to Sling +4's which I assume are later in the game. That's in contrast to all the starting Cleric melee weapons being +2, and there's a ton of better melee weapons in the game.

Or the other way to go would be to just get the weapon with the highest resale value, with the assumption I'll just sell it immediately and put the cash towards a better BG2 weapon. The problem with that is it looks like the most valuable weapon is The Burning Earth (+1 flame tongue longsword) at 4,750 GP, but that weapon isn't even something my Cleric/Ranger or Jaheira could use, and I don't think Minsc has proficiency in longswords (I never understood why a Ranger NPC would focus on 2HS rather than one-handed weapons for dual-wielding, but perhaps it's because classic BG1 didn't have dual-wielding capability).

joluv

Flame Tongue is pretty useful in the early-to-mid game, and you'll probably end up with someone in your party who can use it. The EE version does fire damage, which helps against trolls, and striking undead as +4 is very handy in certain situations.

Minsc likes big swords.

tbone1

joluv said:

Minsc likes big swords.

And he cannot lie!
You other rangers can't deny!