Baldurs Gate II SOA Strategy Guide INTRODUCTION & CHARACTER GENERATION Well, I know that this strategy guide is comming a bit late but till now I didn't had the time to play it ( and the computer )... I'm writing this strategy guide not as a replacment of the hundreds of walktroughs and FAQ, but as a complement for them... I won't go into the details of quest's since other texts covered them pretty well ( i hope :->) ... I will only mention THE most interesting I've found... and most of all how to start a game ... if You want to finish it by yourself. First of all i want to begin with some introduction in My style of role- playing: I HATE large parties... I don't like NPC too much... and I've thought that i can finish BG2 with a single character ( I don't know it for sure right now... but I have hope )... I've finished BG1 with a fighter-thief (Half-Elf: 19Str(tome of str), 19Dex, 17Con, 10 Wis, 10 Int, 15 Ch), i've tried BG2 with the same character too... but i've came to realize that in this game it's real hard without mages... (not impossible i, hope ... but hard)... so I've started a new character: Swashbuckler (human: 18 Str, 18 Dex, 18 Con, 18 Int, 18 Wis, 3 Ch (-> damn low charisma but you get the Ring of human influence (CH 18) right at the beginning so i've never woried about it and if You don't get a lucky roll like i did, don't wory, u may sacrifice some strenght since You get the Girdle of Hill Giant Strenght (str19) in the Adventurer's Mart ), i've put the proficiencies to two weapons style (three stars), and one to long swords, the main thief on which You MUST concentrate are: Find Traps, Lockpick and Set Traps... but it's nice to have some points on pickpocket too... as about the other skills, well i've just ignored them ( swashbucklers can't backstab anyway so I don't need hide in shadows and move silently)... with this fairly good thief i've started the game... 1a. Irenicus' Lair I've freed everyone (but also kicked them out imediatly), then i've killed everithing that moved in Irenicus' lair (except NPC's of course) and when I was level 11 then i've Dual Classed to a Mage... (that's a bit tricky ... cause You don't get that much exp. to reach 11 and then after the Dual Class to reach at least level 7-8 mage or so BEFORE leaving the dungeon ... but there is a cool thing: there are infinite numbers of mephits, coming out of those mephit portals... i've left just one portal intact... the one with the smoke mephits ... and then killing them one by one till You reach the exp. that You think to be enough to dual )... cause if You leave the Dryad quest (9500), the Rielev quest (4000) and the djinn quest (15000), You also might want to kill the jailkeep golem since he doesn't strikes back (kewl huh :-)... but only the Staff +1 can kill him... and another 5000 exp) then you have that damn greater doppelganger (be sure that the shadow thiefes were killed with the swashbuckler) use crometic orb on the greater doppelganger and some other spells You might have ... it was real easy and revarding (3000)... You should by now have at least 36500 exp or so with the mage too... exit the dungeon for 34500 exp and by now You have 71000 that means that You allready have a 7th level mage wich is pretty good right now ... 1b. Waukeen's Promenade Do first the Circus Quest for many exp ... be sure to have dispel magic i You don't You might want to steal it inside the Adventurer's Mart (no stealin eh... the girl in the back hes scrolls)... (level 8th or 9) and You get the Ring of Human Influence ( for the missing charisma ) Do every quest in the city ... for which You DON'T need a thief ... so that You won't need an NPC back You up... and when You are finally level 12 Mage... You become an almost invincible fighting and spellcasting machine. GENERAL TIPS & TRICKS 00. SAVE ALOT >> one of the best strategies ... save before every move You make, because it can be the last one. 1. It is said that You cannot steal in the Adventurer's Mart... well that's a lie... You can steal from the girl ( talk to her and there is the steal button) and You can even steal from the storekeep (using the steal ability of your thief .. at least 100% pickpocket) and You get the Ring of Regeneration. 2.a If You play in MY style You might want to get the Arbane's Sword of Agility and put it as scond weapon... the first one is at the begining: Daystar (pretty good against undead). Arbane's Sword of Agility grants You free action ... which means that in combat You just cast some web spells... most of your enemies will be caugth in it ... and You can kill them easily. 2b. The hard part is that You cannot use the Arbane's Sword of Agility at the beginning, not until You can use your Thief abilities again... but still You can cast an invisibility/imrpoved inv. and get out of the sight of the enemies, cast some webs... after that fireballs and cloudkill to finish the job. 3. Vampire fighting: Get the Amulet Of Power as soon as possible from the shadowmaster Aran (just pay the blooddy 15000 Gp.)... it grants You immunity to level drain (without it it's ALMOST impossible with only one character). Also be aware of the Domination spell ( it ends prematurely the game if Your main character is under the effect of this spell ). Apply strategy 00 before attacking them! 4. Lich fighting: use snares if possible (2-3 .. not more or the snares could kill them and You won't get the exp.) and then run for your life to the closest door... when he enters the room... back in the first one and so on until his combat protections wear out... and then it's easy: hit and run. Be carefull though cause they cast timestop and some other nasty spells like maze ( which makes the game to end if You are using only one character ). Apply strategy 00 before attacking them! 5. Golem fighting: reduce defences if posssible (i've found out that Bone Golems are immune even to that) and then fight them one by one if u can (appliable to other powerfull creature too). There are many tipes of Golems and i will cover them all later. Apply strategy 00 before attacking them! 6. When surprised by enemies: 1-3 Webs and kill them on your one or get out of the web and then use Death Fog, CloudKill and so on... ( see strategy No. 2a, 2b ). Fireball prowed to be efective too. When surrounded by enemies the Sunfire spell might prove usefull... providing space to flee or might even kill them... or if the enemies are undead then use the Daystar's ability: Sunfire ( does pretty good damage to undead ... might even kill them). 7. Steal everything You can... lockpick every case, door ... and SAVE before doing all this because those nasty guards my still kill You even at levels as high as 15 or so!!! 8. Large groups of powerfull enemies ( like golems mentioned above ): go near them carefully do NOT attack all of them at once ( especially when strategy 2. fails because they have spell immunities ), but try to engage in battle only one at a time... or else You might get killed easily by them. Apply strategy 00 before attacking them! 9. HOW TO KILL A DRAGON --- from hellkite_7's Faq Possibly the most powerful and diverse species you encounter is the dragon. There are four in the game, all of different species, that do different damage. And you might think that your hero with 125% magic resistance, cloak of mirroring and the Dragonslayer sword is safe, but oh no. Here's a run down on the three dragons you fight (you help the Silver Dragon, and she helps you, see Underdark section). Red: The Red Dragon is actually Lord Jierdan Fikraag. He is found underneath the Windspear Hills. BREATH TYPE: fire damage, circular radius. MAGIC RESISTANCE: very high. ITS MAGIC: level 3/4 spells (hold person, dispel magic, stoneskin). HORDE: money, red dragon scales, Holy Avenger Carsomyr +5. Shadow: This Dragon is under the Ruined Temple. You can be rendered invisible to it by a Wardstone. BREATH TYPE: electric damage, cone radius. MAGIC RESISTANCE: medium. ITS MAGIC: level 3/4 spells. HORDE: money, shadow dragon scales, crom faeyr scroll. Black: Called Nizidramonii'yt, this is Irenicus' steed, found in the Woodland Clearing NE of Suldanessellar. BREATH TYPE: acid damage, cone radius. MAGIC RESISTANCE: low. ITS MAGIC: equivalent to level 1/2 with stoneskin too. HORDE: money, cup of life, bladeslinger chain +4. In addition all dragons do great damage with their slashing claws and have "wing attack", which blows your party away unconscious (I believe there is a save vs. Spells, but it has a very large penalty). Of course if you have Lower Resistance then suddenly that high magic resistance is not so much of a problem, and Finger of Death preceded by Greater Malison will finish off most any beast. ME: ---->With only one character it's real hard but i hope that my name ( DRAGON ) protects me from them :) 10. Kill everything You can ( without losing reputation because beeing evil is not a profitable thing since u pay for items at 1000% of their normal cost ( --- OUTRAGEUOS i might add... no evil can survive to long in BG2 without being a bit good )). 11. If you do everything right... You even might max out untill You leave SpellHold and if You don't like to play with only one character ( which is more fun, exp and adrenaline ) then You may get yourself some new party members... Be carefull: if You get members who allready were in your party ( ex: Imoen ), they are on the same level of experience as they were when they've left You, BUT if you get some NEW party members... they will have almost the same experience points as You have! 12. The Limited Wish Spell ( usefull sometimes ... nut not really good in the after all ): This is one of the MOST complicated spells in the game ( if not the complicated )... First of all You need HIGH wisdom, my character has 18 so far and still it isn't enough for some things ( i think )... When You cast the spell a Djinn apears and You can ask him some repeatable wish or some one time wish. My repeatable wishes were ( i think that they change if your wisdom changes ): I wish that the spells i've cast are restored, that i can cast them again Result: Rememorize one spell ( levels 1-4 ). I wish that I could make my party invulnerable Result: Minor Globe of Invulnerability is cast on the party. I wish to summon a horde to overrun my enemies Result: Many small rabits are summoned ( Bioware still has some sence of humour ) I wish to be protected from the undead Result: Protection from undead is cast My one time wishes were ( i think that they also change if your wisdom changes ): I wish to be rich Result: Some gems are put in your inventory ( not worth more then 100 GP ) I wish for a powerfull magical item Result: A Full Plate Mail +2 is summoned into your inventory ( Str needed 15, weight 50 --> not too bad ), You can sell it with 150 GPs I wish to be more experienced Result: A wish that you will certainly regret... the only time i've tried it the Djinn summoned an Adamantine Golem, an Sand Golem and an Juggernaut Golem ( fight well and experience you will earn --> another Bioware joke (lol)) I wish to see all as it really is Result: The Djinn hands You over the Glasses of Identification ( I've wished then: if I wouldn't had them bought/stolen allready ) I wish for control over time Result: Time Stop is cast I wish to be anything i desire Result: Shapechange is cast I wish to be prepared for everything Result: Chain Contingency is cast I wish that all my enemies will die Result: Wail of the Banshee is cast --and there was something like: I wish a quest that i've never experienced before (or something like that -- since this wish disappeared )\ Result: You get a letter in it stands something about Captain Dennis ( who was allready dead at this time ) --unfortunately this wish disappeared somehow from my choises ( it might be a bug since i don't recall saying this wish ) -- this is why i will never mention something about this wish again With the change of wisdom the wishes stay -- but if your wisdom is low it WILL backfire ex: You want healing and You get poisoned and so on. It won't change anything if You have a greater Wisdom then 18 -- the wishes are the same 13. The Kangaxx quest: One of the hardest quests in Athkala (maybe harder then to kill a Dragon --> but that's just my opinion)... it involves three (actually five ) powerfull liches. You find Kangaxxs' body in the South of the Bridge District guarded by an Elemental Lich. The arms and legs are in the Temple District ( you find them during the Unseeing Eye quest ), quarded by an Shade Lich. And finally there is Kangaxx the Lich himself... a VERY poverfull lich, he's very hard to hit (you can put 3 traps before the sarcofagus, these will hit him BEFORE he activates his combat protections, but don't kill him with traps, if You do then You won't get any experience at all ), has many nasty spells, he's to be found in the Docks District ( bring the golden arms, legs and body there ), in the house between the inn and MaeVar's Guild, he's guarded by three Minotaurs ( 3000 exp each ). The worst thing with Kangaxx is that he regenerates ( not at a very good rate i might add ), so it's real hard to kill him and that's not all ( damn Kangaxx ) and if You finally manage to kill him then he turns into a Demi-Lich, even more powerfull then the first one with full health and many new spells --> almost impossible to kill him. It is usefull to have the Daystar ( Long Sword +2 --> but very good against undead ), it can be found at the City Gates, in the Inn, behind a secret wall, guarded by another powerfull lich ( sometimes i wonder how many of them are there anyway ). Really rewarding quest allthough ( 3 liches + ( 66000 exp ) + 3 Minotaurs ( 9000 exp ) + items + ???? exp for killing Kangaxx ( I don't know how much, i haven't figured a way to kill him - besides traps mentioned above - YET )). There is a certain way to kill him: since the Demi-Lich casts ONLY imprisonment, you cast spell immunity: Abjuration and then go to him with a weapon +4 or better, if You don't have such an item, then You don't have a chance! And remember that there are only few +4 and +5 weapons in the game: Scimitar +5 Defender -> one of Drizzt's weapons, Carsomyr +5 Holy Avenger ( Greatsword -> Not usable by You :-) ) and Cutteroat +4 ( Short Sword ), so I came to the conclusion that it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to kill this damn Demi-Lich with only one character ( since I have as proficiency Long Sword and the only VERY good long sword in the game: Equalizer is not good enough, well i'm doomed here :( ********** IF SOMEONE HAS A VERY GOOD IDEA HOW TO KILL HIM******** Pleeeeeeeeeeease contact me since i don't have a clue how can it be done by MY character, not one with Carsomyr :-P in his hands. Warnig:!!! He is IMMUNE to all spells, including the one that reduces magic resistance !!! --------------------------------------------- To be Continued ------------------ ------------------------ This FAQ is written by DRAGON... for suggestions and other stuff mail me to: **** asmodeus@emoka.ro ****