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Handling Random Elements

I'm kind of new to the game, only at act 4 with 1 character. However I read a LOT of stuff about it, everything non-spoilery actually, including gameplay mechanics.

Recenty- something bugged me in how I play the game.

I wanted to ask how you guys handle these random elements in your playthroughs. Do you reload or not?:
1. Succeeding/Failing to learn spells from scrolls.
2. HP increase per level (depending on class hit die)
3. General combat/encounters.

[If there are other random elements in the game- feel free to indulge what they are and how you manage them]

I feel like, in some cases, reloading breaks immersion and is not how the game was meant to be played.

[I know that never reloading is called "ironman" run and I think it's more of a challenge than how the game should be played.]

Reloading battles and encounters seems fair to me- it's part of the experience to fail and try again.

But what about learning spells from scrolls? I feel bad when I reload after I fail to learn a spell. The game doesn't have that mechanic for nothing. Doesn't it?

Same thing with level-up hp increase. If you're constantly reloading to get better rolls (or just mark the option for max hp rolls) then that mechanic is for nothing as well.

In short- I'm confused about what should be the authentic way to play the game the way it was intended.

Comments

  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    1. I use a mod for 100% spell learn chance.
    2. I let hp fall as they may.
    3. If you know the mechanics well enough, its possible to almost completely eliminate random chance. (Can't do anything for early game bad hit chance).

    As for the "authentic" way to play. This game gives you loads of options. Play however is the most fun for you.
    lost1
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    1. Potion of Genius

    2. I just accept it

    3. Invisibility 10 Radius is your friend. You can start a battle by casting it to evaluate your next move. Or just metagame.
    ThacoBell
  • EnuhalEnuhal Member Posts: 920
    You can get to 100% chance to learn spells once you get to 24 intelligence, which is achievable by drinking potions of genius or potions of mind focusing (their effects stack themselves and each other), so a common strategy regarding spellscrolls for no-reload games is to gather a huge amount of scrolls, increase int and learn them all at once - if you only learn from spellscrolls at ~3 strategic points in the game, you'll have enough potions available to you to do this throughout BG1 (in BG2, there are a ton of these potions available at temples, so the problem is reduced even more).

    As for HP, there's the option to turn on max hp rolls on level in the EE - so there is never a reason to reload. If you want maximized rolls, simply go to options and activate that one. If you don't, don't. I personally play with both, depending on the type of run I'm going for.
    ThacoBell[Deleted User]
  • DemwarDemwar Member Posts: 4
    ThacoBell said:

    1. I use a mod for 100% spell learn chance.

    That kinda misses the point.. Thing is- I want to play the game as it was meant to be experienced.


    Enuhal said:

    You can get to 100% chance to learn spells once you get to 24 intelligence, which is achievable by drinking potions of genius or potions of mind focusing (their effects stack themselves and each other), so a common strategy regarding spellscrolls for no-reload games is to gather a huge amount of scrolls, increase int and learn them all at once - if you only learn from spellscrolls at ~3 strategic points in the game, you'll have enough potions available to you to do this throughout BG1 (in BG2, there are a ton of these potions available at temples, so the problem is reduced even more).

    This is an answer I like. So if I were to 'play by the core rules'- this is how I would do it. Interesting. This would make learning spells a much more careful operation, making the whole thing much more exciting and rewarding.
    Enuhal said:

    As for HP, there's the option to turn on max hp rolls on level in the EE - so there is never a reason to reload. If you want maximized rolls, simply go to options and activate that one. If you don't, don't. I personally play with both, depending on the type of run I'm going for.

    Yea, I mentioned that option in the first post. I don't use it.

    I can play on easy mode + story mode option and just finish the game playing as dumb as I can, but why? The game is fun when there's challenge in it.
  • Yann1989Yann1989 Member Posts: 92
    Hi ! :) I'll probably repeat what others have said, but here are my answers:

    1. I actually use potions of genius and potions of mind focus. You can buy them at the Friendly Arm temple and yes, they're expensive. Then, when you have access to Baldur's Gate city, you can also buy some potions there. Not only does a higher intelligence increase your spell learning success, but it also increases the maximum number of spells per level you can write in your spellbook.

    2. Playing on Core rules, in my current run I don't allow myself to reload level-ups, even if the HP increase is low. I've been lucky so far (I nearly always get more than the average). Be careful to plan your weapon proficiencies prior to level up.

    3. (Fights) If it's your first run, you don't have so much metagame knowledge so I say it's ok that you have to reload some difficult encounters. For common fights, try to keep reloading at a minimum. If you have to pay a temple to resurrect an ally, then pay the temple. That makes the game more exciting to me.

    How to improve your survivability?
    i) Scout. The common strategy is to have a thief scout areas in advance. Or anybody able to have some stealth. For example you can cast invisibility on one of your characters, or use a priest with Sanctuary. If you are in a dungeon, thieves are preferred because they can detect & disarm traps. If you know a fight is coming, you can buff yourself before launching the fight.
    An alternative is to use divination spells to scout the area, it can really be worth it if you have enough spell slots.

    ii) Use wands. The game throws so many wands at you, it's actually difficult to deplete them all. In my first runs, I used to not use wands, thinking "I'll keep them for later". That was foolish, because there are a lot of tough fights along the way. Use them as soon as you think the fight is not super easy.

    iii) That one you know, but it's worth mentioning: always kill the mage first. If possible, use poison against them. Elemental damage also helps, especially to bypass stoneskin. Backstabbing an enemy mage is also a big pleasure in this game.

    iv) You can kite ennemies. When possible, have them go to a room where you wait them and you can ambush them with your ranged weapons and crowd control spells. Bonus points if you set up a trap with your thief/ranger.


    Demwar
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147

    Sorry to be a little combatative, but if you are new to the game, why haven't you picked up some NPC?

    If you truly want to play the game "as intended", then that's the first thing I would say adheres to the ethos of it being an attempt to recreate D&D on a computer.

    Your first two points become far less important non solo, and the third changes things to being a different game.

    So when it comes to "game mechanics", you are asking for something that is specifically tailored to meet the way you are currently playing but might not apply if you play it a different way.

    It's not that you are doing something "wrong", but you have made the point that you wanted to play the game as intended.
    And having a party is, IMO, fundamental to that.
  • DemwarDemwar Member Posts: 4


    Sorry to be a little combatative, but if you are new to the game, why haven't you picked up some NPC?

    If you truly want to play the game "as intended", then that's the first thing I would say adheres to the ethos of it being an attempt to recreate D&D on a computer.

    Your first two points become far less important non solo, and the third changes things to being a different game.

    So when it comes to "game mechanics", you are asking for something that is specifically tailored to meet the way you are currently playing but might not apply if you play it a different way.

    It's not that you are doing something "wrong", but you have made the point that you wanted to play the game as intended.
    And having a party is, IMO, fundamental to that.

    At first I was like "what the HELL is he talking about?"
    Then I read my post and started loling hard. In "with 1 character" I meant in 1 playthrough. I"m pretty sure the game devs meant to play with NPC's since they're...there lol.

    Thanks for making me laugh and for your enlightment. XD
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Demwar said:

    ThacoBell said:

    1. I use a mod for 100% spell learn chance.

    That kinda misses the point.. Thing is- I want to play the game as it was meant to be experienced.

    How does it miss the point? There is no document or instruction manual out there that holds "The way the game was meant to be experienced." Its meant to be fun. Whatever way you play that you find the most fun, thats how you should play it. For some people this means challenge runs, for some its a story mode so they can just enjoy the characters and plot, for other still its somewhere in between. Mods allow further customization from there. Just play the game the way that gives you the most fun.

    DemwarGusindalost1
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    Demwar said:


    Sorry to be a little combatative, but if you are new to the game, why haven't you picked up some NPC?

    If you truly want to play the game "as intended", then that's the first thing I would say adheres to the ethos of it being an attempt to recreate D&D on a computer.

    Your first two points become far less important non solo, and the third changes things to being a different game.

    So when it comes to "game mechanics", you are asking for something that is specifically tailored to meet the way you are currently playing but might not apply if you play it a different way.

    It's not that you are doing something "wrong", but you have made the point that you wanted to play the game as intended.
    And having a party is, IMO, fundamental to that.

    At first I was like "what the HELL is he talking about?"
    Then I read my post and started loling hard. In "with 1 character" I meant in 1 playthrough. I"m pretty sure the game devs meant to play with NPC's since they're...there lol.

    Thanks for making me laugh and for your enlightment. XD
    It's she BTW. :D

    But so glad to hear that, the NPC and creating a party are BG's strengths.

    One thing you can do, (which is a bit of a cheat), but it's entirely up to you.
    If you slide the difficulty down to easy/story, you always learn the spells and you always get max HP. Then put it back after leveling up/learning.

    I do that and excuse it along the lines of "well charname was feeling particularly bright and really in touch with their heritage that day." B)
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