Some assorted BG2 questions (mild spoilers)
sethosayher
Member Posts: 7
So I'm finally playing this game in a serious way that might end up with me actually completing this thing! I'm psyched. That said, I'm have a ton of semi-random questions:
1). How much of the game takes place in Chapter 2? I've been doing a ton of side quests and honestly I'm impressed at just how much content there is at the beginning of the game. If I finished all the major quests in chapter 2, what percentage of the game would you say I would have completed?
2). Can Chapter 2 quests be completed later in the game, in later chapters?
3). What is the best way to removing the *Held* status condition where a PC is prevented from moving or acting? Is there a way to buffing a character to be immune to that?
4). What are some must have items I should be sure to buy as soon as possible?
5). I really want to try out as many NPC's as possible and complete as many of their quests as possible (especially the new NPCs with the EE)....could I just swap out NPCs, wait several days, and do their particular quests as they emerge in the game? Is there any downside to this?
6). uh. Hmm. I was sure I had another question. Oh well!
1). How much of the game takes place in Chapter 2? I've been doing a ton of side quests and honestly I'm impressed at just how much content there is at the beginning of the game. If I finished all the major quests in chapter 2, what percentage of the game would you say I would have completed?
2). Can Chapter 2 quests be completed later in the game, in later chapters?
3). What is the best way to removing the *Held* status condition where a PC is prevented from moving or acting? Is there a way to buffing a character to be immune to that?
4). What are some must have items I should be sure to buy as soon as possible?
5). I really want to try out as many NPC's as possible and complete as many of their quests as possible (especially the new NPCs with the EE)....could I just swap out NPCs, wait several days, and do their particular quests as they emerge in the game? Is there any downside to this?
6). uh. Hmm. I was sure I had another question. Oh well!
2
Comments
3) There are spells (Dispel Magic and Remove Paralysis) that can undo the "Held" status effect. Immunity against this effect can be obtained through items that give "Free Action" (there are rings and weapons, such a sword short you might have already kept from a bandit ambush), through the Cleric spell Chaotic Commands, through potions, and certain class-specific protections (Undead Hunters are immune to Hold Person, and Berserkers and Barbarians have rage abilities that protect them against mind/movement affecting magic).
4) This would depend a lot on your character and the NPCs you're using (and want to keep using).
5) The only downsides are possible alignment conflicts and if you swap NPCs all the time, as opposed to sticking to a more or less fixed party, they will start lagging behind in XP and thus be less powerful than they could be.
6) Feel free to ask
2) In addition to what @Blackraven says, some quests can even be left until the first half of Chapter 7, although it makes more sense to finish them in Chapter 6.
3) Not much to add to what @Blackraven says.
4) As @Blackraven says, it depends who you have, but there are certain purchasable items which you're almost bound to want for someone in your party. For example, you'll want the Robe of Vecna (from Deidre in the Adventurer's Mart) for your Mage ... but it's very expensive, you can't afford it in a hurry. More cheaply and immediately, you'll be wanting containers to carry around the scrolls/gems/potions/etc. which you find on your travels - you'll soon find that you don't have room in your backpack to carry everything loose. Get a couple of Gem Bags and Scroll Cases soon, and there's one place you can get a Potion Case as well. The most useful items in the game are Bags of Holding - you can get one in Chapter 2 (from a quest), one in Chapter 4 (found in a dungeon), and one (larger) in Chapter 8 (from a shop) - get them all!
5) By all means swap NPCs in and out to do their various quests. Chapter 2 is the best time to do this. Then by the end of Chapter 2, settle on your permanent party and stick with the same guys for most of the rest of the game (with the exception of Imoen, whom you're still trying to rescue, but can't get back until later, so you may want to take one temporary member in your party until you find her again). However, if you're swapping NPCs in and out, then no, there's no reason to just sit and wait for their quests to appear, you could be getting on with other quests while you're waiting for a particular NPCs next quest to trigger. In most cases, just resting for several days won't break anything, but be aware that there are a few quests which are timed, so those ones may be failed if you waste too much time. It isn't necessary to try out every NPC on your first run through the game - it is designed in the expectation that you will play it multiple times with different parties.
6) As @Blackraven says.
4) This is very much a personal preference, as others have already pointed out. Go through the stores, see what particularly strikes your fancy, see how much money you have and save it for that extra special item you really want to have. That item is most likely to be available in the Adventurer's Mart.
5) My suggestion would be that you try out different NPCs as much as you please in chapter 2, but by the time you get close to finishing chapter 3, it's a good idea to have settled on a party that feels balanced and good for you. You can finish the game with almost any combination - although it's a very, very, very good idea to have at least one arcane spell caster, one divine spell caster and one thief in your party.
Can I make an additional suggestion? As much as you can, discover stuff on your own without resorting to the forums. You will definitely miss some stuff that way, but the things you find out on your own, you will like better and feel prouder about, trust me.