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Stat increases?

emporerpantsemporerpants Member Posts: 15
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Does anybody know how many opportunities are there for stat increases, and where they are?

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  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2014
    I remember all the places, but it's hard to list every single detail on how to get the stat increases here.

    BG1:

    1 tome for each stat except wisdom. There are 3 wisdom tomes. I'm sure there are guides that explain this in detail, but from memory:

    Strength: Candlekeep dungeons.
    Constitution: Cave in lighthouse map.
    Dexterity: Barrel in thieves' guild.
    Intelligence: Ramazith's tower, Baldur's Gate (or is his name Razamith? who cares!)
    Wisdom: 1 in Candlekeep dungeons, 1 from the poisoned quest in Baldur's Gate (you can keep the book rather than handing it over), 1 in Durlag's Tower
    Charisma: Cave in gnoll stronghold map.

    BG2:

    Hell: I can remember that you can get 2 strength, 2 con, 1 wisdom and 1 charisma depending on your choices. There's a lot more to it and you can lose stats. Read a guide on the hell trials.

    Deck of Many Things: The Star card increases your "main stat" by 1. For single-class characters, this is obvious. For duals, I *think* it's the active class, and for multis, I haven't found a correct guide yet. My fighter/thief got dexterity. If you're unlucky, you can get a permanent save penalty from the DoMT as well.

    Machine of Lum the Mad: 1 increase to each stat.

    Spellhold: I mention this because you will lose 1 point here. You can pick the stat yourself, though you can't pick all of them (I believe strength and charisma are missing).

    Edit: Clarified DoMT penalty.
    Post edited by kaffekoppen on
  • emporerpantsemporerpants Member Posts: 15
    Thanks! Do you know where the machine of lum the mad is?
  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    Watcher's Keep level 4. DoMT is in Watcher's Keep level 3.
  • emporerpantsemporerpants Member Posts: 15
    Ah, thanks!
  • IllittiIllitti Member Posts: 17
    Kaffekoppen is correct, but to complete his answer:

    Hell Trials: There are a lot of trials with various bonuses, but those revolving around stat increases are Test of Fear and Test of Wrath. Choosing evil option in Test of Fear grants +2 Con. Choosing good option in Test of Wrath gives you +1 Wis +1 Cha, evil option in Test of Wrath gives +2 Str. Obviously you can't choose both in Test of Wrath, and choosing evil path even once in any trials will permanently turn your alignment to evil. Some guides might say that Test of Wrath evil option also gives +1 Main Stat but this is incorrect as of BG2EE.

    Deck: Main stat for Fighter/Barbarian/Paladin/Ranger is Str, Mage/Sorc Int, Thief/Bard Dex, Monk/Cleric/Druid Wis. For Dual Class, it's active class as stated. For Multiclass, it uses priority list of Int > Wis > Str > Dex.
  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    Illitti said:


    For Multiclass, it uses priority list of Int > Wis > Str > Dex.

    I've read this multiple places by now, but it is false.

    Source: My fighter/thief got dex.
  • JoviwanJoviwan Member Posts: 28
    edited January 2014
    So the 'max' possible strength you can achieve legitimately as permanent is... 24? (19 half-orc, 1 book, 2 hell, 1 Lum, 1 DoMT)
  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    Correct. I was going for that with my fighter/thief, but I got dex instead so 23 for that combo :)
  • BelanosBelanos Member Posts: 968
    kaffekoppen said:



    1 tome for each stat except wisdom. There are 3 wisdom tomes.

    If you're referring to the Tome of Understanding, according to Near Infinity there's only 2 of them. I was just looking them up recently.

  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    @Belanos - The locations @kaffekoppen list are accurate. There are 3 Tomes of Understanding available in BG:EE, as there were in BG1+ToTSC. Good news for divine casters and mages who want to abuse wish.
  • PibaroPibaro Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 2,989
    You must now that the +2 strenght bonus given by the evil option in Test of Wrath, is a + 2 strenght.... wich means that the bonus is added to your strenght even if your strenght comes from a girdle.
    To be more clear.
    You have 17 in strenght.
    You choose the evil option in Test of Wrath and you have 17+2=19
    You wear the "girdle of fire giant strenght" and you have 22+2=24 in strenght
  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2014
    @Pibaro: Unfortunately though, it's simply not true. I justed tested it with my half-orc. He had 21 strength before Hell. Now he has 23 (in white rather than red so you know it's permanent). When I give him the 22 strength girdle, his strength is 22.

    Same with the DoMT priority list that's floating around in a couple of places. It's not true. If I had the energy I'd find the real list, but going through all those multiclasses with the DoMT. Not going to happen :)

    I wonder if some of these things changed in the EE. My findings here are based solely on the EE.
  • ZalsonZalson Member Posts: 103
    Corvino said:

    @Belanos - The locations @kaffekoppen list are accurate. There are 3 Tomes of Understanding available in BG:EE, as there were in BG1+ToTSC. Good news for divine casters and mages who want to abuse wish.

    Is the Tome of Understanding created in the Lady's Hall after you get the quest that eventually ends up requiring it? That seems like it would prevent characters from failing that quest...
  • TaearTaear Member Posts: 90
    The girdles/gloves have ALWAYS just automatically set your strength to the amount shown, they don't stack with increased strength of any kind. If your strength is 22 naturally and you put the gauntlets of Ogre Strength on, they'll change it to 18.
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    The only way to make the girdles and gauntlets add to a score instead of setting it is by installing the Item Rebalancing mod.
  • TwoWayFinesseTwoWayFinesse Member Posts: 128
    Zalson said:

    Corvino said:

    @Belanos - The locations @kaffekoppen list are accurate. There are 3 Tomes of Understanding available in BG:EE, as there were in BG1+ToTSC. Good news for divine casters and mages who want to abuse wish.

    Is the Tome of Understanding created in the Lady's Hall after you get the quest that eventually ends up requiring it? That seems like it would prevent characters from failing that quest...
    There is a quest where you can hand over a wisdom book, the alternative way is to say you *will* hand it over, but then refuse to do so. Everyone in the room turns hostile and you have to kill them all. Quite a lot of XP as well I believe.
    You know, I don't think I've ever handed that book over! :)
  • MitchforkMitchfork Member Posts: 390
    TwoWayFinesse said:

    Zalson said:

    Corvino said:

    @Belanos - The locations @kaffekoppen list are accurate. There are 3 Tomes of Understanding available in BG:EE, as there were in BG1+ToTSC. Good news for divine casters and mages who want to abuse wish.

    Is the Tome of Understanding created in the Lady's Hall after you get the quest that eventually ends up requiring it? That seems like it would prevent characters from failing that quest...
    There is a quest where you can hand over a wisdom book, the alternative way is to say you *will* hand it over, but then refuse to do so. Everyone in the room turns hostile and you have to kill them all. Quite a lot of XP as well I believe.
    You know, I don't think I've ever handed that book over! :)
    You can also trade the tome for the Geas scroll, and then pickpocket the tome back (or simply pickpocket the scroll without trading).
  • PibaroPibaro Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 2,989
    kaffekoppen said:

    @Pibaro: Unfortunately though, it's simply not true. I justed tested it with my half-orc. He had 21 strength before Hell. Now he has 23 (in white rather than red so you know it's permanent). When I give him the 22 strength girdle, his strength is 22.

    Same with the DoMT priority list that's floating around in a couple of places. It's not true. If I had the energy I'd find the real list, but going through all those multiclasses with the DoMT. Not going to happen :)

    I wonder if some of these things changed in the EE. My findings here are based solely on the EE.

    I'm sorry.... it was true in BG2.. if it's not true anymore :( it's bad :(
    I haven't tried in BG2EE.
  • MoczoMoczo Member Posts: 236
    Mitchfork said:

    TwoWayFinesse said:

    Zalson said:

    Corvino said:

    @Belanos - The locations @kaffekoppen list are accurate. There are 3 Tomes of Understanding available in BG:EE, as there were in BG1+ToTSC. Good news for divine casters and mages who want to abuse wish.

    Is the Tome of Understanding created in the Lady's Hall after you get the quest that eventually ends up requiring it? That seems like it would prevent characters from failing that quest...
    There is a quest where you can hand over a wisdom book, the alternative way is to say you *will* hand it over, but then refuse to do so. Everyone in the room turns hostile and you have to kill them all. Quite a lot of XP as well I believe.
    You know, I don't think I've ever handed that book over! :)
    You can also trade the tome for the Geas scroll, and then pickpocket the tome back (or simply pickpocket the scroll without trading).
    Or hand it over and then kill them all! Only the High Priestess can put up a fight, and she's nothing special.
  • kaffekoppenkaffekoppen Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2014
    It's a super easy fight and they are both evil and annoying anyway so I never felt bad about killing them.
    Pibaro said:


    I'm sorry.... it was true in BG2.. if it's not true anymore :( it's bad :(
    I haven't tried in BG2EE.

    Well, no need to be sorry, I'm just trying to figure things out. For what it's worth, I'm happy it's a normal strength bonus because that makes the most sense. Now if only they could fix the AC bonus from the Hell trials I'd be really happy. It's supposed to lower your AC by 2 but it doesn't stack with armor so it's basically meaningless.

  • PawnSlayerPawnSlayer Member Posts: 295
    Yeah, you can always kill the Bitch Queen's followers without issue. I do the same in BG2 - the Priestess in the temple in Brynnlaw is a very easy 14k experience, and it's not like you're going back there anyway ;)
  • RingoRingo Member Posts: 39
    PawnSlayer said:

    Yeah, you can always kill the Bitch Queen's followers without issue. I do the same in BG2 - the Priestess in the temple in Brynnlaw is a very easy 14k experience, and it's not like you're going back there anyway ;)

    And after doing that, you will probably travel by ship 4 times during totsc and SoA, and the ship will sink 2 times out of 4. The bitch Queen does not forget :)
  • QuiqueQuique Member Posts: 62
    Some of my evil or lawful neutral / true neutral characters have skipped the book, just because I like role playing and I figure they make it up eventually in ToB.
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