First time player - general questions

Bakes0310

As title, just looking for general advice as I play through the game. My first question is my lead character any good for a first time player?

half human half orc berserker with the stats:
Strength 19
Dexterity 18
Constitution 19
Intelligence 9
Wisdom 4
Charisma 18

I've picked 2 handed sword and two handed weapon profiences and put 2 points in each.

I looked on the forums and that's where I got the build from but had to stop as it was getting pointlessly overwhelming to play a game and also a bit spoilers.

Bakes0310

What stats should I be concentrating on building up as I play through the game and level up? As it's my first play through I don't want to overcomplicate things and will stick as a pure berserker.
Managed to get outside an inn and I seem to kill most things so far in 1-2 hits with a bastard sword. Unfortunately broke on me, guess that can be repaired?

jsaving

I'd suggest two pips in two-weapon fighting with two further pips in either longsword or bastard sword. You can't repair ordinary weapons, you are expected to just drop them on the ground and find/buy replacements (but note that magic weapons never break so you should be on the lookout for +1 weapons).

BelgarathMTH

There are some creatures you shouldn't try to fight in melee at early levels, such as ghouls, which will paralyze you, and ogres, ogre berserkers, and cave bears, which hit so hard they can kill you in one or two hits. You need at least one pip in a ranged weapon.

Also, bows are very overpowered in BG1, because they get two attacks per round.

You're not going to get any more stat points unless you find magical tomes that are scattered throughout the game.

Bakes0310

Thanks for the quick replies.
So unless I find tomes I won't be able to change my stats much after character creation. Would you say I have a good one for my first play through or have I totally fudged it up?

BelgarathMTH

You've maxed out exactly the right stats for a melee fighter. You should be fine. Save your berserks for spellcaster fights. If an enemy starts chanting and speaking Latin-like phrases, you should hit that berserk button.

dunbar

Save often, reload and learn from your mistakes.

Bakes0310

Daft question but I can't see the rage ability do I start with it?

ThacoBell

Its under your special abilities tab. Its the button that kinda looks like a fat plus sign on the far right of your ability bar. All abilities that aren't spells will be there.

Arvia

Also, if you have chosen two-handed swords and weapon style, you should get one of those. You'll use your bastard sword with a penalty if you have no points, because it's not two-handed.
The disadvantage of two-handed weapons is that you can't use them with a shield. So, you'll have a lower armor class, and at level 1-3 every strong enemy (ogres etc) will smash you quickly, if you don't use the ranged weapons (even without any proficiency points) that @BelgarathMTH has mentioned...
I didn't listen to that advice about a month ago, and the first ogre killed me. Then I bought bows, and was fine.

Berserker is a very good choice for a first playthrough.

jmerry

That advice about ranged weapons? You don't need them on everybody, just some of the party. My standard BG1 parties have two heavily armored melee warriors and four ranged attackers - and it's fine to have your protagonist be one of the ones in melee. You'll need someone there to keep the enemy off your ranged attackers, anyway.

Against most enemies, you just let everyone fight naturally, with the melee attackers charging in and the ranged attackers supporting from a distance. Against particularly scary enemies, like an ogre at level 1 or 2, either the melee warriors kite the enemy while your ranged attackers shoot them down or you neutralize the enemy with disabling spells.
If a character gets hurt, disengage until they can either drink a healing potion (you'll find quite a few, and can buy more at temples) or receive a healing spell.
If enemy melee attackers close with your ranged attackers, either disengage immediately or switch to a melee weapon; melee attacks against a character wielding a ranged weapon get +4 to hit and +4 damage. You can also take advantage of this in reverse - if your melee character charges a hogoblin archer, it'll switch to its much less dangerous sword. If it doesn't do so fast enough, your swing will get those +4 bonuses, and will probably kill it.

Of course, the most important thing for a warrior is to use the weapons that you specialize in. Bastard swords and two-handed swords are different things in this game; using a bastard sword with the proficiency setup you've mentioned is wasting all four of your proficiency points.

Bakes0310

Thanks for the advice. So a bastard sword isn't a two handed sword? What sword is then at the beginning?

Arvia

@Bakes0310 , a two-handed sword is simply called "two-handed sword". Bastard swords in this game aren't two-handed. You can buy them in some places. Make sure to get spare ones, you have noticed that weapons break easily.

Pingwin

Don't worry too much about getting things right on your first play through. If you get into the game, you will be playing it over and over again with different classes of character, different NPCs joining your party etc..

With those stats, particularly the 19s in STR and CON, your character is overpowered in my opinion. Not necessarily a bad thing as BG is extremely difficult in the early stages.

If you look in the descriptions of weapons in your inventory, it will tell you what proficiency type that weapon is.

I recommend turning off the group AI and micromanaging everyone yourself - I've seen the AI do some stupid stuff, particularly with spell casting characters. Also look in the options and set the game to autopause when you run into anyone hostile, and when weapons break.