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Exploits, Tricks, and Nonstandard Tactics

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  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    edsterz said:

    Here's a shop trick/exploit: you can buy items without removing them from the shop inventory if you just skip the "done" button and click your own inventory button instead. Or map, or character sheet or whatever. This way I got two fighter-thieves and Imoen wearing the shadow master armor at the same time, and both fighter-thieves wielding the long sword with cold damage. Use it in a shop that you can steal from and you have a limitless supply of everything you can get your hands on once.
    Works in BGEE 2.0, haven't tried other versions.
    Edit to add:
    PS make sure you do hit the "done" button after selling stuff you want to buy/steal back, or it will be lost forever.

    I think this trick was fixed in a later 2.X version
    Still works in both BGEE and BG2EE.

    In relation to this distinction though I wondered @semiticgod if it would be helpful to split your list between tricks that still work in the EE and not?
    ArctodusSkatan
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited August 2019
    These are the tricks that are only possible in earlier versions of the game.

    Spider Gnome Trick/Shocking Grasp Trick, documented here
    Author: @CrevsDaak, @Saros, @semiticgod (flasher part only)
    Brief Description:

    By switching to the spider form from Polymorph Self and then using a Shocking Grasp spell put in a Minor Sequencer, any mage can set his or her attacks per round to 4 using any weapon, as Shocking Grasp removes the spider's natural weapon, but does not return the mage to natural form. It works especially well with cleric/mages and Jan Jan's Flasher Master Bruiser Mates, as it cures one of their primary weaknesses: low APR. The high APR actually allows Jan to reliably stun-lock Kangaxx.

    As of one of the v2.x updates, the spider gnome trick no longer works in BG2:EE.


    Song Stacking
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Bard songs stack with themselves. By casting multiple Mislead spells and having each Mislead clone sing a song, you can stack the bonuses for the entire party. This works best with Skalds and the Enhanced Bard Song.

    One of the EE updates removed this trick, as the songs no longer stack (though songs of two different types may still stack).


    Icewind Dale Haste Trick, documented here
    Author: @semiticgod
    Brief Description:

    In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, haste effects actually reduced the character's round time from 6 seconds to 3 seconds. This means that hasted characters in the original game not only attack twice as many times every 6 seconds; they also activate bard songs twice as often (granting double the bonuses each round, or allowing you to sing two different songs within the same round) and even cast two spells in the same round.

    Outside of Icewind Dale, in the BG saga, haste still speeds up speed timers, allowing blind thieves and Shadowdancers to backstab twice per round. But this can also prevent backstabbing by speeding up the time it takes for a thief to become visible again.


    Righteous Wrath of the Faithful Trick
    Author: @semiticgod
    Brief Description:

    In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful stacks with itself, granting +1 APR to characters with the same alignment as the caster. Combined with haste effects (only possible by casting Haste and RWF in the right order, or using Oils of Speed), and any party with a uniform alignment can attain 10 APR with large damage bonuses. If the party is composed entirely of gnomish cleric/illusionists, they can also attain immunity to RWF's crippling fatigue penalties by each donning a copy of the Helm of the Trusted Defender sold in Kuldahar. Level 15 druids are also immune to fatigue by default.


    Restoring Clones
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Casting Restoration on a Simulacrum clone will bump it up to the original caster's level. In the case of sorcerers, it will even give the clone the same spell slots as the caster.

    In EE, clones are immune to restoration and this trick no longer works. They are also, however, immune to level drain.


    Shapechange Trick
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Killing a character under the effects of Shapechange, resting, and then resurrecting the character will preserve the shapeshifting abilities from Shapechange. Thus, any character who can cast Shapechange at least once can retain the abilities permanently, except for the main character, who cannot be killed without ending the game. An early way to cast Shapechange is to use the one-time-only Limited Wish Shapechange option. You can also use CTRL-R to preserve the effects, though this requires using the console.

    Note that you can backstab using the Iron Golem's attack, which deals 4d10 base damage.

    This trick no longer works in the current version of the Enhanced Edition. There is, however, a complicated workaround that works in some other versions of EE (see list of EE tricks).


    Potion Swap Glitch, documented here
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    You can use any item by right-clicking a potion in the inventory, clicking "Drink Potion," and then quickly switching the potion out for another item. This would allow a mage to use a Potion of Invulnerability or a cleric to use the Dispel Magic ability of Carsomyr.

    If you use this glitch on a gem, you can set the gem's count number from 1 to 0. If you do it once more, the gem's count number will underflow and become 65,535. Selling the stack of gems will net tens of thousands at minimum, and can be done quickly and indefinitely. In BG1 and IWD, this can also be done with potions by holding the potion in the inventory screen before the character attempts to drink it. In IWD2, this can also be done to duplicate Oils of Fiery Burning, or any scroll that can be cast on the ground and not just on a living target.

    This no longer works in the Enhanced Editions.


    Slayer Trick, documented here
    Author: @Arunsun
    Brief Description:

    Casting Mirror Image can block the final 1500 magic damage that triggers 44 seconds after entering Slayer form. After surviving that damage, you can maintain Slayer form indefinitely. You can also use the spider gnome trick to remove the Slayer's natural weapon using a Shocking Grasp Minor Sequencer or scroll, or casting Minute Meteors via an EE-exclusive robe. You will then be able to attack using any weapon while still in Slayer form (though you will no longer have the Slayer's immunities to various disabling effects).

    One of the 2.x updates removed this trick.


    Hotkey Trick
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Nahal's Reckless Dweomer can be cast by any mage, sorcerer, or bard by mapping it to a hotkey. The hotkey will never deplete spell slots; NRD can be cast an infinite number of times, ignoring aura, as if the caster was under the effects of Improved Alacrity. Wild surges are still possible, so the Wild Mage is still best at this due to the existence of the Chaos Shield spells.

    This also works for Chain Contingency, but can also be cast by any druid or cleric as well.

    This is no longer possible in EE, as those spells cannot be mapped to hotkeys.


    Chaos Shield Trick
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Chaos Shields can stack if they are combined in a Spell Sequencer/Trigger or (Chain) Contingency.

    This is no longer possible in EE.


    Rod of Terror Trick
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    Using the Rod of Terror has a chance of permanently decreasing the user's Charisma by 1, which is fatal when CHA reaches 0. But by wearing the Ring of Human Influence, one can avoid this instant death effect until the character's Charisma underflows up to 25. This 25 Charisma lasts even when the ring is removed.

    Testing suggests this is no longer possible in EE.


    Rejiek Hidesman Trick
    Author: Unknown
    Brief Description:

    When you attack Rejiek Hidesman in his home, you get about 29,000 XP when he delivers a few brief lines of dialogue. If you surrounded him with party members before you do this, preventing him from moving, and then repeatedly click him after the dialogue ends but before he can go downstairs, you can get that 29,000 XP over and over again without limit. If you click him too soon, you won't get the XP from the previous dialogue.

    I believe this is no longer possible in EE.


    Item Duplication, documented here and here
    Author: @profanitywarning and @edsterz
    Brief Description:

    You can duplicate items using a shop or a bag of holding. First, you need at least two (or possibly three) copies of the item you want to duplicate. Sell one copy to a shop, exit out of the shop, and then go back to the shop's menu. Purchase the item back, but instead of clicking "Done," click the inventory button on the left side of the screen, twice. You will then return to the game screen, at which point you can re-enter the shop.

    If you do this repeatedly, you can create an unlimited number of copies of the item, as skipping the "Done" button prevents the shop from deleting its own supply. Thus, you can always buy another copy. Using a bag of holding works the same way, but costs nothing.

    Further testing has found that, if you are performing the trick via a Bag of Holding at least, you do not actually need two copies of the item in question. A single copy is sufficient.

    This trick was introduced in one of the v2.x patches, but removed in v2.5


    Infinite Spell Immunity/Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, documented here
    Author: @kjeron and @BrightL1ghts
    Brief Description:

    By assigning Spell Immunity or Nahal's Reckless Dweomer to a hotkey and double-clicking the hotkey, the sub-spell menu will remain open and you can continue casting the spell indefinitely.
    Post edited by semiticgoddess on
    islandkingJuliusBorisov
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    edited December 2017
    I have added @bob_veng's reputation-saving tricks and both @profanitywarning's and @edsterz's methods of item duplication.

    I am running the most recent version of BG2:EE (EDIT: version 2.3; no longer possible in v2.5) and while my game is heavily modded, both methods of item duplication are fully functional.

    I've also divided the tricks into separate posts, because putting them all in one comment apparently exceeds the character limit. As the list grows, I'll provide links at the bottom of each one for easier access.

    I've tried to use the Wand of Lightning and @Arctodus' Potion of Power trick to boost HP and survive the 1500 damage from the Slayer change, but it seems the effect falls short. The Slayer change sets your maximum HP to 100, and the WoL trick only gives +120 HP per Potion of Power. It's possible to get over 1500 HP this way, but not before the Slayer change kills you (you only have 44 seconds, or about 7 rounds).

    It may be possible, however, to combine this with the quick-save trick to drink 12 Potions of Power (which you could obtain using the item duplication trick) in a single round. But last I checked, it was not possible to save while in Slayer form.

    If it is possible to save during Slayer form, these four tricks would allow any character except a Wizard Slayer to stay in Slayer form indefinitely.
    Post edited by semiticgoddess on
    JuliusBorisovlolien
  • edsterzedsterz Member Posts: 10
    Haha, I don't know if you have enough stones. ;) You indirectly have infinite gold and are probably the richest person in the FR.

    About the slayer potion trick. Does Imp Alacrity work on usable items? If so, maybe it's possible to cast it going into slayer?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @edsterz: Nope. Improved Alacrity only eliminates the gap between spells; you can still only use one item or potion per round.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305

    If it is possible to save during Slayer form, these four tricks would allow any character except a Wizard Slayer to stay in Slayer form indefinitely.

    Even when the game prohibits a manual save it normally allows an autosave, e.g. as a result of a party area transition. That might be a way round the issue.
    semiticgoddesslolien
  • lroumenlroumen Member Posts: 2,508
    Charmed and summoned creatures can sometimes be made to follow the party through area transitions by having them attack a party member from a slight distance. When they walk up to that party member you need to zone and the creature will stand next to the party in the new area, still allied. It is a bit quirky in that it does not always work perfectly but when it does it can be very valuable.
    JuliusBorisovedsterzProontlolien
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited September 2017
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
    JuliusBorisovDJKajuru
  • edsterzedsterz Member Posts: 10
    Spell Trap can be used to gain an infinite number of spells per day by using level 9 effects against the caster. A Project Image clone can cast level 7 and level 9 spells to restore the original caster's spells. For a Simulacrum clone to be able to do the same thing, it would have to be level 18, which means only a level 35 mage (impossible without removing the XP cap) could do the same using Simulacrum instead of Project Image. Black Blade of Disaster also strikes as a level 9 spell for each hit.


    More on the spell trap trick: I don't see it mentioned, but it works with Energy Blades (both from Cleric and Mage) and Melf's Meteors as well. These are very economical choices compares to having your clones throw single target spells into Spell Trap. Their high APR also allows for fast, mid-combat recharging.

    As for mitigating damage from Black Black, Melf's or Energy blade, Stoneskin will eat the physical damage component while Spell Trap eats the magical damage and spell effects. Recharging Stoneskin is recommended. Since Spell Trap eats a full spell regardless of remaining spell lvl, it should be possible to absorb 3 spells at lvl 9 and 1 spell at lvl 4 (for Stoneskin), even though there would only be 3 spell lvls remaining.

    Without XP cap removed, I think the caster lvl for Simulacrum is bugged (lower than the spell description 60%), so they never get access to HLAs. (Really, this seems like a bug) However, there is a glitch where if your caster is lvl drained (only tested with -4 lvl drained) from lvl 31 to 27, your Simulacrum will have one HLA spell.

    A Simulacrum with Energy Blades + Stoneskin + a few scrolls of Spell Trap allows it to recharge the mage and vice versa, completing the loop.

    There's might be ways to exploit this using a Wild Mage at lower levels, but so far more testing is needed.

    IF
    HotKey(N)
    THEN
    RESPONSE #100
    SaveGame(1)
    END


    Did anyone test if this still works in BG2EE? If yes, this could be the 4th piece for the perma slayer trick.



    AndreaColomboStummvonBordwehr
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428
    I think I've only used the Mislead backstab and the quick-save to reset aura tricks out of all of these. I'm tempted to do some Wand of Lightning abuse, but have never gone through with it.

    Actually, "Send the Mislead clone to a far corner of the map to beat True Sight" probably counts as its own trick, and I've done that plenty of times.
  • edsterzedsterz Member Posts: 10
    edited September 2017
    @semiticgod A note about the Hotkey trick for Nahal's. You moved it into the non-EE trick section, but I still see a NRD hotkey under Gameplay -> Assign Keys -> Mage Spells. And as far as I can tell in BG2EE v2.3.67.3 on Steam, the trick to obtain infinite NRD still works for Wild Mages only with a slight variation:

    Ensure you have at least 2 NDR memorised. Simply press your NDR hotkey twice and the spell picker remains up until you select another char.

    If someone else can confirm it (for both BGEE and BG2EE), you could move it back into the EE section.
    AndreaColombo
  • profanitywarningprofanitywarning Member Posts: 294
    It doesn't work in BG2EE 1.3 though.
    StummvonBordwehrsemiticgoddess
  • histamiinihistamiini Member Posts: 1,428
    Duplicating DoEH and with Ascension installed you can get 65/100/100/100 item based damage resistance. :D
    semiticgoddess
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    edited December 2017
    Skatan said:

    Just tested on 2,5 beta and switching weapons still allows you to bypass set to 1 APR, to let you swing more than once in a round. This is very good for halberd users in BG1 allowing to swing once with Chelsey's crusher, then switching for another regular APR halberd for a second swing (or more) in the same round.

    Presumably the same would work for anything with 1 APR, like a Bard with Carsomyr switching into Firetooth/Belm for another 3 attacks?
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Skatan: Could this be done multiple times per round? Halberds are sluggish, with a speed factor of 9 or 10, and 1 APR with a halberd would probably take 3 seconds to make an attack, limiting APR to 2. But if you had a faster weapon like a dagger which struck earlier on, wouldn't it be possible to land 3 attacks per round, if not more?
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    It's a pretty niche advantage. The example with Chelsey's crusher is where you have a weapon with only 1 APR and then leverage the remainder of the round to fit in more attacks with something with a higher APR (like darts). However, there's the problem @semiticgod raised that there may not be time to fit in extra attacks if the first weapon is slow. Moreover, fighter characters will normally be better off using their higher APR with their preferred weapon than they would be using this trick to get an extra attack with a non-preferred weapon. If you're prepared to do the micro-management then something like a bard can get a slight combat advantage, but it's not going to be a game changer.
    semiticgoddessPantalion
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    I've moved the item duplication trick from the list of current tricks to the list of outdated tricks, as it no longer works as of the v2.5 update.
    profanitywarninglolien
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    Grond0 said:

    If you're prepared to do the micro-management then something like a bard can get a slight combat advantage, but it's not going to be a game changer.

    Yeah, generally I'd just be thinking of whacking something with Carsomyr/SotM for the dispel, then switching over to speed weapons to actually do some damage.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    @Pantalion: I've added your item swapping trick to the list.
    Pantalion
  • PantalionPantalion Member Posts: 2,137
    Thinking about the item swapping trick, I didn't think of it at the time, but if you have a stack of darts or something you should also be able to swap out their weapon with a single dart in each slot (or some launchers they don't have ammo for). They'll be reduced to attacking with their fists.
    semiticgoddess
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    I have added @histamiini as the creator of the Spell Trigger Trick, in which you use a spell trigger or sequencer with area-effect spells on the original caster to avoid breaking invisibility.
  • histamiinihistamiini Member Posts: 1,428
    edited January 2018
    @semiticgod It only works with Spell Trigger, not the other sequencers. Might be shortlived as I reported it.
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