New to Baldures Gate Need some Assistance Please
Hello Everyone,
First I would like to say I am new to Baldur's Gate (but I have amazing things about it) but giving that it is Dragon Age Origins true predecessor I am very excited to see what it has to offer. I would also like to state that besides a few 3.5 D&D games I have no idea of the rules and how to play D&D either. So as you can imagine even the character creation screen starts to confuse me on what to do and what the options mean or do.
I am not sure how I should do this so ill just get straight to the point and my questions by listing them...
1. When it comes to Race are there any considerations I should take into mind being a noob? Example: Are certain races more difficult to play than others? Will choosing a certain race give me more skill points upon leveling up? etc.
2. There are many classes to choose from which would benefit me for an overall easier first time run of the game? I know you meet your party members as you travel but like in Dragon Age Origins you only had one Healing Mage and she didnt come to a bit later in the game leaving you to rely on potions and such so for me it was beneficial to make my main character a healer for early to mid game. Also what is the difference between Multi-Class and I believe its called Dual Class? and what are the benefits and Cons for each?
3. Alignment...I am not quite sure how to say this properly but...Will my alignment or a party members alignment effect how other party members view me/the party? If so what are the repercussions of that? Will party members leave, attack each other etc? Also if I were to max out my party members and switch them out will I be able to recover them later if I change my mind or one dies?
4. Abilities...Now this part is the most confusing bit for me. In my few games of D&D the meaning and rules behind the abilities were not what I was used to from todays traditional RPG's and it confused the hell out of me. For instance I don't really know the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence other than one is for a Wizard and the other a Cleric. Constitution I believe is your hit points? and does Charisma really play any role in this game or is it unnecessary? And if so can I just lower it completely to add to a different Ability? That also brings me to another question about your Abilities, Say I am making a Warrior, can I just lower my INT or WIS completely to add to STR and CON? or will that hurt my character?
5. Skills and Proficiencies...Now I know giving a character proficiency in a certain weapon makes them good at using that weapon but does that mean they will only be able to use that weapon type? Also how many weapons should I try and be proficient in? When it comes to Skills I am not sure how to spread them out...like does the difficulty to open a lock for example get easier for ever skill point or every 10, 20 30 etc? Should I only focus on one or two Skills and keep it at that?
6 THAC0 and AC ...HOW THE HELL DOES THIS WORK?! sorry for the caps but really I don't understand it at all...if someone could please explain it to me as SIMPLE as possible I would really appreciate it.
7...Last question for now I promise...but is it possible to have a love interest in this game or get to know your party like in Dragon Age Origins? I would really like it if there was a way to make the game be a little more personal and let you get to know your character.
8. Okay I lied one more question...Stealth: how does line of sight or how other people and things in the world see you work? for instance if I want to pick a lock and get whats in the chest how do I know when to go for it and not get caught?
Well that is all for now if I think of anymore or if you the community could fill me in on anything I should know that I didn't ask here that would be awesome, and again thank you for your time and responses I really would like to get an understanding of the game before I play it and I am sure it goes without saying but please no spoilers ^_^
First I would like to say I am new to Baldur's Gate (but I have amazing things about it) but giving that it is Dragon Age Origins true predecessor I am very excited to see what it has to offer. I would also like to state that besides a few 3.5 D&D games I have no idea of the rules and how to play D&D either. So as you can imagine even the character creation screen starts to confuse me on what to do and what the options mean or do.
I am not sure how I should do this so ill just get straight to the point and my questions by listing them...
1. When it comes to Race are there any considerations I should take into mind being a noob? Example: Are certain races more difficult to play than others? Will choosing a certain race give me more skill points upon leveling up? etc.
2. There are many classes to choose from which would benefit me for an overall easier first time run of the game? I know you meet your party members as you travel but like in Dragon Age Origins you only had one Healing Mage and she didnt come to a bit later in the game leaving you to rely on potions and such so for me it was beneficial to make my main character a healer for early to mid game. Also what is the difference between Multi-Class and I believe its called Dual Class? and what are the benefits and Cons for each?
3. Alignment...I am not quite sure how to say this properly but...Will my alignment or a party members alignment effect how other party members view me/the party? If so what are the repercussions of that? Will party members leave, attack each other etc? Also if I were to max out my party members and switch them out will I be able to recover them later if I change my mind or one dies?
4. Abilities...Now this part is the most confusing bit for me. In my few games of D&D the meaning and rules behind the abilities were not what I was used to from todays traditional RPG's and it confused the hell out of me. For instance I don't really know the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence other than one is for a Wizard and the other a Cleric. Constitution I believe is your hit points? and does Charisma really play any role in this game or is it unnecessary? And if so can I just lower it completely to add to a different Ability? That also brings me to another question about your Abilities, Say I am making a Warrior, can I just lower my INT or WIS completely to add to STR and CON? or will that hurt my character?
5. Skills and Proficiencies...Now I know giving a character proficiency in a certain weapon makes them good at using that weapon but does that mean they will only be able to use that weapon type? Also how many weapons should I try and be proficient in? When it comes to Skills I am not sure how to spread them out...like does the difficulty to open a lock for example get easier for ever skill point or every 10, 20 30 etc? Should I only focus on one or two Skills and keep it at that?
6 THAC0 and AC ...HOW THE HELL DOES THIS WORK?! sorry for the caps but really I don't understand it at all...if someone could please explain it to me as SIMPLE as possible I would really appreciate it.
7...Last question for now I promise...but is it possible to have a love interest in this game or get to know your party like in Dragon Age Origins? I would really like it if there was a way to make the game be a little more personal and let you get to know your character.
8. Okay I lied one more question...Stealth: how does line of sight or how other people and things in the world see you work? for instance if I want to pick a lock and get whats in the chest how do I know when to go for it and not get caught?
Well that is all for now if I think of anymore or if you the community could fill me in on anything I should know that I didn't ask here that would be awesome, and again thank you for your time and responses I really would like to get an understanding of the game before I play it and I am sure it goes without saying but please no spoilers ^_^
Post edited by LPMalakye on
0
Comments
A) Attributes (Some races have bonuses or penalties to some attributes)
C) Romances Available (Really an issue for the next game)
D) Thieving Skill Bonuses (Different Races give you different bonuses to thief skills)
2)
A) There isn't exactly a lack of NPCs to recruit in the first game. So play whatever class you really want to play. Some classes aren't very beginner friendly, like monks, and should probably be set aside for future playthroughs.
3) Not really. Reputation is far more important. Alignment only matters if you are playing an alignment specific class and have it changed.
4) http://playithardcore.com/pihwiki/index.php?title=Baldur's_Gate:_Races_and_Stats
Some stat minimum guidelines: You don't want lower than 8 str regardless of class. You should aim for 11 intelligence regardless of class but can get away with less if necessary.
5)
A) Different classes allocate proficiencies differently. Single Class Fighters can put a lot of points into single proficencies so you should focus very narrowly. MultiClass Fighters and Rangers and Paladins can only put two points inot each proficiency so you can spread them around more. Some classes can only put one point in so have to spread around what they get.
6) I can explain it, but not simply.
7) In the second game NPCs are more fleshed out, but I think the new NPCs have stuff in the first game.
2: Basicly what class you choose is up to you, just get atleast 1 dude who has melee skills (can tank!) and you are good to go imo. Having a healer doesnt hurt ever tho.
3: yes to all except last, answer for last is usually yes but not always.
4: Good question, i dont exactly remember how it works in dnd2 rules but i try to shed some light atleast.
STR = melee dmg and how much you carry etc. DEX= affects Armor Class anf reflexes CON= affects hitpoints and how healthy you are generally (helps resisting poisons some etc) INT = affects wizards spell casting, it also affects dialogue a bit iirc WIS = like int but affects druids etc CHA = affects how ppl react to you and your general charisma, important for bards etc.
I cant recall if WIS helped resist mind affecting spells and stuff... just. cant. remember.
5: No. 1 or max 2 but what you want is the get as many proficiency points into 1 weapon, more proficient = more deadly also remember the styles (twf, shield and sword etc). Cant remember the skills part
6: To Hit Armor Class 0. here is a copy paste from the internetz:
THAC0 (/ˈθækoʊ/, thack-oh) is an abbreviation for To Hit Armor Class Zero (0). To calculate if a hit succeeds you would take the AC of the target and subtract it from the attacker's THAC0, then roll a 20-sided die; if the die rolls equal to or higher than the calculated number, the attack hits. That is, THAC0 − AC = roll needed to hit.
Example: If a target has an AC of 5 and the attacker has a THAC0 of 18: 18 − 5 = 13. The attacker must roll 13 or greater to hit.
Example: If a target has an AC of −3 and the attacker has a THAC0 of 8, 8 − (−3) = 11. The attacker must roll 11 or greater to hit.
Fighter classes have the best THAC0 progression and spell users have the worst. Lower THAC0 is better, since you have to roll equal to or higher than the to-hit number.
So its how good you hit.
7: Yes. it is possible.
There are modifiers that affect how well you can stay in shadows. Some armors will limit your stealth ability, while others will help it. If you can get your stealth stat up to at least 50%, you should be able to hid in shadows successfully most of the time.
Backstabbing is tricky the first couple times you try it, but once it works its totally worth it. You can even modify how much damage your thief does by drinking potions of strength, or using haste spells ect...
Stealth doesn't affect opening locks, however just be sure there is no one around to spot you in the act otherwise they may turn hostile.
Similar with pick pocket, you need to get behind the victim to make the attempt. The higher your pickpocket ability, the greater the odds you'll be successful. Be careful pickpocketing in heavily populated areas, you could have a big fight on your hand if you get caught!
A little off topic (maybe) I am following Neera's questline and I am getting absolutely annihilated and I am pretty sure its due to my party setup. What would you suggest for a good setup for a standard party? Right now I have
My Main Character (Multi Fighter Thief)
Imoen (Multi Thief Mage)
Neera (Wild Mage)
Khalid (fighter I believe)
Jaheira (Fighter Druid)
Minsc (Ranger)
I am not sure how to proceed...should I start over? Is this a good build? What do I do?
I am trying to keep a neutral or good standing party no evil guys lol
Also, be sure your party members are equipped with ranged weapons, that helps a lot. Minsc, imoen, Khalid, and your main character can all use bows/crossbows/darts/slings (whichever you picked), and Jaheira/Neera can use slings. Oh, throwing knives and axes are fun as well, but they run out quickly.
You have both the 'Hide in Shadows' and the 'Move Silently'. They both have significance to your stealth ability, but I don't know exactly how - I believe that it's more or less that the percentages for the two skills are added, and then used for determining whether or not you can stealth. As said, 50% is ok-ish for dark areas. I usually get Hide in shadows to 125 and Move to 100 (you might want to focus on other skills too if you're the only thief in the party).
You cannot stealth while an enemy is in sight. Once you stealth, you'll be stealthed for at least 10? seconds - more or less. After that, the game checks for stealth again, and this check can succeed even if enemies are in sight. If this check fails, you have 5 seconds before the stealth actually goes away. You can see on your character when it actually falls away - they're always faded-out while in stealth. If you can get out of sight before the 5 seconds, you can reapply, then go back. A pillar or corner is usually enough to break line of sight.
Now, for lock opening while in stealth: If you're in stealth, and try to open a chest or door, you'll lose stealth immediately. If you pick a lock, you'll lose stealth after 5 seconds, but can reapply it (provided no enemies are around ofc). So, it's not possible to both pick and open a chest while in stealth, unfortunately.
Looking for and disarming traps is just about impossible in stealth, as you cannot both stealth and look for traps, and it usually takes 5 seconds before you can 'see' the trap, meaning that even the delay in losing stealth won't be enough if there are enemies around.
Whenever you go move from one map to another (even if it's just from a room to, say, a cellar) you'll lose stealth, but there's the 5 second grace period before it actually falls off.
Try to make sure that Khalid and Minsc is in front. If any others are getting attacked, move them out of the way. The enemies should then direct their attention to the fighters (who should be the closest ones). Have Jaheira heal during combat if needed. Have Neera and Imoen cast crowd control spells like sleep, web, chromatic orb, grease and others. Hold is also a great spell if Jaheira has it. When they're not casting, they should be using ranged weapons - they are very powerful in BG.
2. fighter classes should have con 18 or higher, everyone else 16; every class should have dexterity as high as possible;
3. just play 3 games with one type of aligement each. That is the best way to feel the difference. I like playing for chaotic neutral.
4. It's a good idea to make less important stats lower. But good idea is to have minimum of 7
5. Proficient points are good to spend in one or two types of weapon and one weapon style. and thief... every player has different preferences. Find traps and pick lockes are good though.
6. Okay... Lets make it simple. You want to have low number (THAC0 9 is better than THAC0 14 and AC -4 is better than AC 6)
7. Without comment.
8. Stealing things is a crime you know?
I hope this is going to help you in future.
Alignment only affects what class you can be, your starting rep (VERY minor), which familar a mage, sorcerer, or bard gets, or certain items you can equip.
Reputation affects how people react to you (discounts, or summoning guards to kill you on sight), which party members you can use (though it only comes into play at extremely high or low reputations...evil will leave if it gets too high (18+), good will leave if it gets fairly low (2- if memory serves), and neutral will leave if it hits the the very bottom (1) (except Imeon who will never leave due to rep). Paladin and rangers will also permanently lose all extra abilities (effectively becoming handicapped fighters) if the party rep drops below 8.
The main thing about thac0 and AC is lower is better (also applies to saves)...just remember that. The formulas are kinda of annoying, so just leave it at that.
Half-orcs are probably the easiest race to play, overall, since they can get 19 str and constitution (there's a manual that increases constitution by 1 that can be acquired very early and 20+ con gives a passive but very slow health regen (only dwarves and Half-orcs can get it) at creation (the difference between 18 and 19 str is HUGE, fighter types have an extra roll for str that evens the field, but you have to reroll your entire stat roll to change it, so it can take forever to get a really good 18/?? roll AND good stats).
A Fighter/Cleric multiclass is the easiest combo for a newbie (Half-orc has good starting stats, but a dwarf is the flat out best due to ridiculous racial saves (by the beginning of the sequel they're almost immune to save based spells without penalties), and like the half-orc can potentially get natural regeneration), it gives a nice spread of strong saves, you can wear the best armors without impeding spell casting. Most of your spells are buffs or debuffs and thus are more straight forward in their uses, good health, decently fast leveling speed, high thac0 and weapon proficiency progression (also the best blunt weapon in the game (and one of the best in the game period) can be acquired immediately after leaving the starter area (though it can be a tough fight for a newbie).
Intelligence only determines spells known per spell level (19+ removes the limit) and increases change for successfully scribing spells in the first place. Also effects lore a tiny bit. Very useful in the sequel since Int and Wis are used for the Wish spell. Only REALLY needed by mages and bards. Sorcerer spell casting isn't based on any stat at all, but they still need it, if you plan to use Wish.
Wisdom increases the spells per day of druids and clerics...and a little bit of lore..and is used for wish. Besides that, it's a useless stat (the other things it SHOULD give aren't implemented).
Dex affects armor class, chance to hit with ranged weapons, and a few thief skills.
Constitution only effects your hp class depending, the rate at which you become fatigued, Halfling/gnome/dwarfs get +1 to all save per 3 points of con score. And if it hits 20+, you get a very slow, natural health regen (only possible for a dwarf or half-orc with 19 start con...others can get it temporary via some spell effects, but only they can get it passively (will full heal your character on any area or rest transition that takes at least 1+ hour of in-game time, depending on your hp total of course, a lvl 8, near dead barbarian will only mostly heal)
A multiclass is easiest since it doesn't require anything special, you just make it, set your stats and play. The Dual-class however requires specific minimum stats for the class combo you wish to do. Then you play one class up till the point you wish to stop, then change to another and level exclusively as that class till it becomes 1 level higher then your previous one at which point you regain any abilities your other class had.
The biggest difference is, a multi-class levels a little slower since it splits xp between two classes at once, but is also constantly improving both, while the dual-class takes a class for it's armor/weapon choices, skills, hp, and thac0, then swaps to another once they've gotten the bare minimum they want from it, then forever become a new class with those extras available. At lower levels (This game) there's not much difference aside from complexity, but at higher levels (Sequel with expansion), the multi-class is flat out better as they can get epic abilities from both classes while the Dual only gets epic abilities from it's 2nd class.
With regard to thievery.
In order to stealth or set traps, there can't be any enemies in THAT CHARACTER's LoS. They can be on the screen, but as long as they aren't in that character's LOS, he can attempt to hide or set traps.
Opening locks carries no penalties at all, only opening the box and taking something will cause problems. And usually only if there's an NPC in your LoS...but sometimes they do it anyway.
Pickpocketing does care what direction the target faces, but the value of the item does make it easier or harder (especially in shops).
When stealthing, you take a large penalty if your character isn't darkened by a shadow. It's possible, but requires very high Hide/MS to succeed (100+ for a reasonable chance, though possible earlier). As for the skills themselves...no one is really sure how they work aside from the fact skilling both helps immensely vs just skilling one of them (the original idea was hide effected your ability to hide in the first place while MS effected your ability to stay hidden...this has since been proven false and the best I can come up with is that they're just added together to determine your overall chance to hide and stay hidden).
Detect illusion is one of the most broken skills in the game, it allows a thief to pretty much at will dispel any illusion in the game (100 is the maximum useful amount, the skill level is just the % chance of it working), from wuss little reflected image all the way up to simulacrums and projected images including all forms of invisibility.
Hide/MS and Pickpockets are the only skills that benefit from higher then 100.
There are no love interests in BG1. There are however in the sequel.
* in a weapon means you have no penalty when wielding it. Anything above that starts giving additional bonuses (usually restricted to warrior or part warrior types, but some kits can alter this). If you can't put any points in a weapon at all, then you can't use it (but you CAN use any weapons you could, but you'll take a penalty to hit based on your class (-1 warrior type, -3 everything else, -6 mage/sorcerer) for using them untrained.) (Some weapons or kits have additional usage restrictions beyond weapon types of course)
Backstabbing requires that you be invisible or stealthed, wielding a melee weapon that a single class thief could use without UAI (weapon types a thief could use, but are restricted to a certain class, like the monk only scimitar in the sequel can't backstab), and hit the target from behind. Though any enemy that can see through stealth/invisibility is immune to backstab (high level demons, beholders, etc), as well as a few types of golems (adamantine I know for sure).
2. Your standard party lineup should always include: Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Thief. With 2 other slots (for a total of 6) I would add another Fighter and another healer (Cleric or Druid). There is a lot of combat in the game and early on magic users only get a few spells. You will be relying on physical fighting more than magic, for much of the game. The first time you gain access to access to an area effect spell such as Fireball, will be a significant shift in combat effectiveness, but you must be careful with your aim. You want at least 1 Mage and 1 Cleric to be a pure class, not multi-class, because multi-class will take longer to gain access to better spells (or more accurately, the spell slots needed to cast the better spells). All of your party should have ranged weapons, although your frontline fighters will be using melee more. Your Cleric should be behind, but nearby your frontline so she can cast healing spells with little delay, since early level heal spells are touch only (not ranged). Think of your Fighter and Cleric as having a symbiotic relationship.
3. Alignment affects reputation, class options, and the ability to equip some rare items. It is largely an aesthetic.
4. I generally don't go less than 10 in any ability. DEX is important for free AC (for every class) and bonus to ranged weapons. STR is good for carrying loot (everyone needs a little) and for melee to hit and damage. CON is good for everyone, because characters are so fragile, and everyone needs HP, but only warrior classes benefit from higher than 16. INT affects the ability to scribe spell scrolls, bonus Lore, and in a rare instance against certain enemies who damage INT. WIS is crucial for bonus priest spells. It also gives bonus Lore. Lore is an opportunity to identify items for free, without using a spell or paying 100 gold. You can always rest in a safe spot and cast identify as much as you want. After you start selling excess magical items, you should not have a money problem, so Lore is a nice bonus, but not essential. CHA affects hidden calculations for party compatibility (good characters with evil), for some characters to join you, your reputation, and I think it affects some dialogue options, but since it is hidden, I am not sure. Your frontline person, and even better, your main character (or PC), should have at least a decent CHA, such as 13. It is not essential, though.
5. Basic proficiency says you can use a weapon without PENALTY. Additional proficiencies will give bonus to hit, damage, speed, or AC, depending on what you are spending the points in. Generally, characters are only going to be using 1 or 2 weapons (melee and ranged) the entire game, so make a choice and then maximize that choice. At a certain point, you are going to earn superfluous proficiencies, because only certain classes can specialize or higher (Fighters). Extra proficiencies are nice for when you discover a magical weapon, so that someone in the party can use it without penalty. If everyone in the party uses different weapons, it makes it easy to upgrade to magical weapons. If everyone in the party uses the same weapons, then you need to find multiple long swords, or two handed swords, etc. It would suck to find a +3 Hammer of Ass Kicking if no one in your party can use hammers (-4 penalty to hit). Have your thief focus on open locks and detect traps exclusively the first few levels. They are essential. Hide in Shadows and Pickpocket are not.
6. Think of a 12 inch ruler or yard stick. In the center of that ruler is AC 0. To the left is -10 AC (Sherman Tank) and to the right is AC10 (naked human with no DEX bonus). Your THAC0 number is what you need to roll equal to or higher, on a 20 sided dice, to hit the center of the spectrum. A better analogy is this. A knight in full plate armor is about AC 0. Your THAC0 is how well you can hit a knight in full plate armor. It is a relative measurement to give you a rough idea of how easy it is for your character to hit things in combat. Lower is better. Lower AC is also better.
7. I think the new content adds a couple of love interests, but it is largely absent in BG1. You will see more of that in BG2.
8. Stealth has hidden calculations that I (believe) are affected by ambient light sources, but I don't know to what degree. It is great for scouting with your Thief. At higher skill it is great for setting up for backstabbing, but harder to do, mostly because your Thief THAC0 will be so high (bad) that they will reveal themselves swinging away at the enemy back and missing. It is great when it works, though.
Imoen - Thief, dual class to mage laters
Ajantis - Paladin (Tank)
Minsc - Ranger (2h Melee)
Dynaheir - Invoker
Branwin - Cleric
I would also disagree with the advice about not healing in battle; healing spells can make a big difference on longevity in a battle, and having a cleric cast a Cure Light Wounds is often a better use of action than having your front rank fighter waste an action to drink a potion. Just realize the healing spells are slow to go off and require some planning and anticipation to use effectively.
2. Some classes are "easier" for a beginner, some are more difficult and require some more experience with the game mechanics to make the most of them. Generally, I would recommend a beginner a class with a clearly defined role, i.e. tank, healer, thief, mage. I would probably not recommend to pick a thief for stealth/backstabbing in the first run since it's a bit tricky; and not a bard as they are jacks of all trades, masters of none, and can fill many different roles. That makes picking a party more difficult on a first run, when you don't know exactly what NPCs you want/need.
Dual-class (humans): Basically, you stop gaining XP in class 1 and start leveling in class 2. Once class 2 is higher than class 1, the skills of both will be available. You won't gain any more XP in class 1.
Multi-class (non-humans): This means you gain XP in 2 (or 3) classes at the same time. You level up slower, but also don't have the temporary setback of not accessing the skills of your first class.
3. Alignment: Your own alignment is mainly a roleplay thing. You can do all quests and recruit all NPCs regardless of alignment. There is a minor difference with your starting reputation depending on the alignment, but it really doesn't have any impact.
NPC alignments tell you at what reputation, if any, an NPC will be unhappy or even leave your party. Evil-aligned NPCs will do so once your reputation is higher than 18. You get a LOT + reputation and it takes some metagaming to keep your reputation low, so playing an evil party is "harder". NPCs don't care what your own alignment is; even if you are chaotic evil, they will see you as a goody two shoes if your reputation hits 19 and leave. Therefore, I would not recommend mixing alignments. Take NPCs that are your own alignment (good or evil) and neutral; that requires the least amount of reputation management.
There are some NPCs that will not get along and may attack each other/fight to death, but those are all of opposite alignments. If you don't mix your party, you should not encounter this issue.
4. Abilities - It sounds like you mean the stats. Basically, what you say is exactly what it is - the difference between INT and WIS is that one is for arcane casters and the other for divine casters. You can minmax stats, too. I would never use dexterity or constitution as dumpstat; those two benefit all classes. (In a nutshell: DEX also means your ability to avoid hits in melee, so it improves your armor class; and CON includes hitpoints and when a character gets fatigued/needs to rest). As a fighter, you don't need charisma, wisdom or intelligence (except for some specific situations, i.e. INT also helps you resist attacks from certain enemies, such as ilithids).
Charisma - you need exactly 1 party member with good charisma, not neccessarily your character. It is helpful to keep party morale up, but not THAT important. Charisma helps you get better prices in stores (your reputation is the other thing influencing this), too. If your own character has low charisma, you can use a NPC with higher charisma (i.e. a bard or paladin) as "shopface" (use this NPC to talk to store owner) to get the better prices.
5. Skills - as already explained, a pip means your character can use a weapon without penalty. You can still use other weapons that are allowed for your class, even if you have no pips in them. You just can't use them as effectively as others. The question "how many" weapons you should invest in depends on your class. For good measure, I'd say it is helpful to have a primary and a secondary weapon, one melee, one ranged, i.e. a thief would use a bow and a dagger. Some classes will likely never truly melee (mages, sorcerers), so in that case, you can also take 2 ranged weapon types on higher levels.
The thief skills - you can't be a master of everything, so yes, focus it. The 2 most common types of thieves are the lock picker/trap disarmer combo and the stealthy backstabber. With 100 points in traps and locks, you should be able to detect and disarm every trap in the game, and open every lock. Traps and locks have values, i.e. some traps require a skill of 70 to disarm them and you won't succeed if your skill is lower. There are potions that temporarily increase these abilities, too. (All thief skills, though it's different potions/items.)
6. THAC0 and AC as simple as possible? The lower, the better.
7. There are NPCs that have a lot more dialogue with your character than others; the 3 that are new additions in the EE. They are more or less preludes to romances (and carry over to BG2:EE, where the actual romance starts). They also all have personal quests, which adds more content.
8. Stealth is mainly for backstabbing, not stealing. Stealing from people uses the pickpocket skill. Stealing from chests with stealth/hide in shadows doesn't work that way because you step out of the shadows by using an action (i.e. open lock, open chest). You can have a mage or bard cast Invisibility on the thief and perform certain actions (i.e. disarm trap) without ending the invisibility (stealth would end when disarming a trap). For your scenario of stealing from a chest, the best way is to either wait until the NPCs leave the room (they can't see/hear you even if they are next door, with an open door between the rooms) or charm them (Charm Person spell) and order them out. You can steal from rooms if there are only sleeping NPCs.