Imoen's XP boost is still bugged in Chapter 1 after all these years and patches
ktchong
Member Posts: 88
At the start of Chapter 1, Imoen meets and joins up with Charname after Gorion's death. The Enhanced Edition (EE) should increase Imoen's XP up to 32,000 to match Charname's XP and level. (In the original Baldur's Gate, Imoen would join Charname at either level 1, 2, 4 or 6 depending on Charname's level.) However, EE has NOT correctly implemented the XP boost for Imoen at the start of Chapter 1. Imoen is a level-2 thief and always has about 1,200 XP regardless of what level Charname is or how much XP Charname has when Imoen joins the party.
After Imoen joins Charname, further down the road are Xzar and Montaron in the same map. If Xzar and Montaron join the party, they are at level 1, and their XP are correctly and immediately boosted to match Charname's XP and level. I tested it in the same game: my Charname has slightly over 32,000 XP, Imoen joins but is stuck at level 2 and does not level up, but Xzar and Montaron are level 1 and have 32,000 XP to level up and match Charname's level. Imoen should be the same: she should join Charname at level 1 (instead of level 2) and her XP should be boosted to match Charname's XP and level.
EE has this problem since I first played it years ago. The problem has never been fixed after so many patches (including the latest "Road to 2.x" or whatever.) IMO, it is important to boost Imoen's XP because, more than any other companion, she needs more XP because she is supposed to dual class from thief to mage, and the XP boost will allow her to dual faster and sooner.
After Imoen joins Charname, further down the road are Xzar and Montaron in the same map. If Xzar and Montaron join the party, they are at level 1, and their XP are correctly and immediately boosted to match Charname's XP and level. I tested it in the same game: my Charname has slightly over 32,000 XP, Imoen joins but is stuck at level 2 and does not level up, but Xzar and Montaron are level 1 and have 32,000 XP to level up and match Charname's level. Imoen should be the same: she should join Charname at level 1 (instead of level 2) and her XP should be boosted to match Charname's XP and level.
EE has this problem since I first played it years ago. The problem has never been fixed after so many patches (including the latest "Road to 2.x" or whatever.) IMO, it is important to boost Imoen's XP because, more than any other companion, she needs more XP because she is supposed to dual class from thief to mage, and the XP boost will allow her to dual faster and sooner.
Post edited by ktchong on
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I just checked on my own game, latest patch, unmodded. And Imoen joins at character level one, not two, as she always has in my unmodded runs. My suspicion is that your bug is most likely due to the mod you are using, or perhaps not a bug but some kind of setting in it.
Here are other players who had complained about the problem as well:
Steam Community: No XP boost for Imoen? (2019)
Reddit: Imoen Does Not Level Up Without You (Console BG1 EE) (2020)
Also, I suggested in the the Tweak Anthology forums to come up with a fix, and CamDawg who maintains the tweak pack said he had looked into the problem, and it was caused by Siege of Dragonspear:
The Gibberling 3 Forums: Future tweak ideas - post 'em here
I created a party to play and level up the party characters in the Black Pits. I exported a character from the Black Pits party, and then imported him into the main campaign.
FYI: Nowadays that has become a fairly "normal way" to play the Baldur Gate saga: first, create and beef up a character in the Black Pits, and then export-import the character into the main campaign. A lot of players have been using the Black Pits to create and quickly level up a berserker or kensai, and then dual to mage either at late Black Pits or early main campaign, with the berserker/kensai-mage fully equipped with late-game gear from the Black Pits. It saves people a lot of pains of dualing to and starting from a level-1 mage after halfway into BG1.