Just started IWD and am having some problems. I am in Chapter one, where might I sell and ID scrolls.
Also I have a Fighter/Mage/Thieve and I can no longer use Lock Picking and the ID skills.
Any help would be appreciated by this old man.
Thanks in advance.

Welcome to Ironworks!

Is your Fighter/Mage/Theif wearing armor? You cannot cast spells while wearing armor other than mage robes, and you cannot use thief abilities with armor heavier than studded leather

For a beginner, I wouldn't recommend a F/M/T unless you are soloing, but I wouldn't recomend that either ;)

Could you list your entire party?

Welcome to Ironworks and the IWD forum, Gmmullen. [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Don't be sorry. All of us were once at the stage you're now at.

As Marty said, your F/M/T is probably wearing armour. Thieves can only use the majority of their skills in studded leather or leather armour. Detect Traps works in any armour.

Identifying scrolls should not be a problem. Just right-click on them in the inventory screen, and the description pops up. Your mage can learn the mage spells by clicking on the Write Spell button at the bottom; save your game first, so that you can reload if your mage failed to learn it on the first go. Note that neither mages nor priests can write priest scrolls - priest automatically have full access to each level of spells once they level up high enough to use them. The only uses for priest scrolls involve casting or selling them. Only priests can cast spells off of priest scrolls.

If you're in Chapter One, you can sell (and buy) scrolls and a few items to/from Orrick, a mage in the tower in the top left of the Kuldahar map. His inventory changes and grows at each successive chapter, so it's well worth checking in with him occasionally.

Little Spoiler
*
*
*
You may wish to pick his pockets a couple times. Save before any attempt to pick pockets, because a failed attempt means the whole town can turn hostile.

Feel free to post any more questions you have, no matter how silly you think they are.

Edit: spelling and typing skills are severely compromised at this time of night. I'm gonna go to bed.

[ 12-01-2004, 06:06 AM: Message edited by: Aerich ]

Welcome to the Forum!
Never be sorry or afraid to ask a question here. This forum has the best group of people I have ever encountered. They know this game backwards and forwards so ask away. I know I asked some pretty dumb questions and probably still do. I never once was met with anything but help. You will be treated the same way. So enjoy the game and I hope you have HOW it makes the game so much better to view.

Thanks to all.
The armor was the problem with the thief skills.
I have the ID spell memorized but it is greyed out right between two other active spells. It also has a number one next to it in the spell box.
For Marty here is my party and I chose them without any fore knowledge about the game so they are ones that just struck my fancy at the time.
Fighter - Human
Fighter/Mage/Thief - Half-elf
Fighter/Cleric - Dwarf
Cleric - Human
Mage - Elf
Ranger - Elf
Any assistance on making changes would be great.

Identify is only cast in the inventory screen by right-clicking on an unidentified item, selecting identify, and selecting "spell"

You have a solid party, though a 3-way multi wont thrive in a six person party. Your fighter-heavy party is screeming for a bard to sing a song to buff them up. I'd drop either the ranger or fighter for a bard, and switch your F/M/T for a paladin.

[ 12-01-2004, 06:49 PM: Message edited by: Marty4 ]

You don't need to make any changes, this party will work fine. Decent arcane, decent divine, heavy melee....these guys(gals) will take you far, though you may wish for more thieving power. Hope you have the Heart of Winter expansion, it adds a good side quest!
BTW, the F/M/T will be VERY slow to level, and will potentially be your weakest link. If it's not too late in the game I would make the FMT into a M/T. Your thief skills will improve faster,, and you will be a better backup mage.

You could also make the F/M/T into a bard, and switch out the ranger for a F/T.

Your choice, really. You could just leave it as is; we love to tinker with parties and try to maximize their potential, but most parties can make it through the game and yours certainly can.

Good fighter power, good clerical power, good arcane spellcasting. Also good archery, assuming the ranger and F/M/T are both using bows.

Identify is only cast in the inventory screen by right-clicking on an unidentified item, selecting identify, and selecting "spell"
This is the problem, when I do as you suggest both choices are greyed out.
There has to be something very simple that I am not doing right.
Thanks for your help so far.

Don't know what to say!?! Try memorizing the spell, resting and taking off ANY armor,,, and see if it works.

You have a good party, but I would include a Paladin as my party leader if only to take advantage of the better dialogue options specific to that class. Some of these will lead to extra experience for your party. Also, there's a very good sword that can only be used by paladins.

I personally like physical and highly varied parties with a mix of good and neutral characters (IWD has a lot of race-, class-, & alignment-specific items). Here's my suggestion for a well-rounded party of six... for whatever it's worth...

1) Human Paladin: Party Leader with high CHA and special dialogue options when interacting with NPCs. This guy has good offensive and defensive capabilties: Lay Hands, Turn Undead, Holy Smite, +2 on all saves, very long lasting Prot. from Evil (+2 on AC and Saves). Overall better than a fighter, especially when using the "holy avenger" sword.

2) Half-elf Bard: Every party should have a bard to sing or play instruments during battle. Some of the bard's songs are better than having a cleric for boosting stats and healing. The bard is also very good at picking pockets and can serve as a back-up mage. (Hint: use him for dialogues in Chpt 1).

3) Elf Ranger: Very good fighter/archer with stealth capabilities and some druid spells. Gets an extra attack when not using a shield, +4 to hit & damage against racial enemy, +1 to hit with large or small swords and bows, stealth and druid spells. Give Dex=19 to optimize stealth and missle weapon bonuses.

4) Dwarf Fighter/Cleric: Good tank with healing capabilities and low saves. Not necessarily the "ultimate" fighter/cleric, but a good way to incorporate a dwarf into the party. Fights mostly with maces, hammers & flails. Give CON=19 to optimize HP, and possibly get to regenerate HP later in the

5) Gnome Fighter/Illusionist: A viable specialist mage that can fight and has low saves. The only multiclass in the game that can be a specialist mage (gets 1 extra spell per level). Give INT=19 to optimize spell memorization.

6) Halfling Fighter/Thief: Designated "dungeon rat". Excellent thief with low saves. Place most thieving skill points in find/remove traps and open locks since the ranger can scout and the bard can pick pockets. Give DEX=19 to optimize thief abilities and enable 3E thief rules to allow sneak attacks and evasion. Pick non-good alignment to take advantage of some thief-related alignment-specific weapons.

This is not an "optimal" party in the sense that a power-gamer might enjoy, but all the races are represented, and each more or less according to their traditional roles in D&D fantasy literature (and there are decent IWD portraits for each). Most characters are single class warriors or fighter multi-classes so that there are few "weak links" in the party chain. Most encounters will be physical in nature, so spellcasting and thieving will be ancillary to fighting.

[ 12-02-2004, 12:35 PM: Message edited by: Otto ]

<font color = mediumspringgreen>Welcome to the IWD forum, Gmmullen!

As has been mentioned, the F/M/T is the only one of your characters that you will probably not be happy with as the game progresses. Other than that, your party looks fine. Everyone has their tweaks that they would make to virtually any party offered up for inspection; and your party is no different. I have lots of ideas; but if I were to allow myself only ONE tweak to your party, it would be to make your F/M/T into a F/T.

It is still not clear to me what your problem with Identify is. IIRC, the buttons that you are talking about are "Spell" and "Scroll." Possible problems (again, IIRC):

1.) You are trying to IDentify (ID) an item that is already identified;
2.) You are trying to ID using ID spell, but your Mage is wearing armor.
3.) You are trying to ID using ID spell, but your Mage has not memorized the ID spell. (To memorize Identify (assuming it is already in your Mage book): Open Mage book. Go to appropriate spell level. LEFT-click on Identify spell on RIGHT page, and verify that it fills an empty box on the LEFT page. Sleep.)
4.) You are trying to ID using ID scroll, but your Mage does not possess the scroll. (Don't ID using a scroll, or the scroll is gone forever! Write the Identify scroll to your Mage book and then memorize it.)
5.) You are trying to ID the item using a character other than a Mage or Bard.

If I understand what you said correctly, you:

1.) Start in the Main screen (that is, the room your party is in fills up the main screen. You are not in the inventory or character attributes screen, etc.)
2.) Your Mage is in possession of the item to be identified.
3.) In the main screen, with your Mage selected, There are boxes on the bottom. When you select the box containing the crescent moon and stars, more boxes appear. One of those boxes is the Identify spell. There is anumber "1" -IN- the Identify spell box. This means that you have "1" instance of the Identify spell memorized and ready for immediate use.
4.) When you go to the inventory screen (Mage still the active character) and RIGHT-click the item, you are given a screen with options "Spell" and "Scroll." Both options are greyed out.

Did I get all that right? If so, then the most likely problem is that you are wearing something that prevents you from selecting the "Spell" option. Get your Mage naked: weapons, armor, rings, boots, everything. Then see if he or she can select the "Spell" option for the item. If you still can't; then the item is either already identified, or you have a bug.

Hope this helps. If not, you might have to recreate your problem in minute detail, keystroke by keystoke, with excellent descriptions of the screens you are in at each step.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

[ 12-02-2004, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: NobleNick ]

Sorry for all the hassle, but ID seems to work now. I took some advise and changed the F/M/T to a M/T and my Ranger to a Paladin. Now hopefully one last question. How can I change the order of the characters without starting over or can it even be done?
Thanks, you have all been kind and gracious in your responses.

See the row of characters on the right side of your screen (in the game screen)? Just left-click on one, drag, and let it go over another portrait. It swaps them automatically.

Just in case you don't know, you can transfer items between characters in the inventory screen by "dropping" the item on a portrait of another character. I didn't discover that until my second time through the game. :rolleyes:

See the row of characters on the right side of your screen (in the game screen)? Just left-click on one, drag, and let it go over another portrait. It swaps them automatically.

<font color = mediumspringgreen>Gmmullen,

Just remember that the leader of the party stands watch while the party sleeps; and so does not get the benefits of sleep (e.g., regenerated spells and elimination of fatigue). So you will need to rotate leader at many points during the game.</font>

Just in case you don't know, you can transfer items between characters in the inventory screen by "dropping" the item on a portrait of another character. I didn't discover that until my second time through the game. :rolleyes:

<font color = mediumspringgreen>If they are near each other. Very handy for getting a potion to the right person in the middle of battle.

I think you will enjoy your "improved" party better than the original.

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

no. this isnt true. All get the benefits of sleep.

Unless I misunderstood you...?

EDIT: changed the icon to the blue winky one.

[ 12-02-2004, 05:53 PM: Message edited by: ZFR ]

I think if you want a mage/thief, it should be a gnome illusionist/thief, since this is the only multi-class that can be a specialist mage (one extra spell/level), and have INT=19.

<font color = mediumspringgreen>Gmmullen,

Just remember that the leader of the party stands watch while the party sleeps; and so does not get the benefits of sleep (e.g., regenerated spells and elimination of fatigue). So you will need to rotate leader at many points during the game.</font>

That can't be right. I had a paladin be the leader through an entire game who always regained his priest spells, pally abilities, and hp every rest. Unless this is some HoW thingy to make the game more challenging, I think you are confused with a different game.

I think they all sleep. The reason why NobleNick thinks the leader doesn't sleep is because (or so I've heard) there is a bug that sometimes leaves the fatigue icon on the top two characters.

I had a heck of a time once with the Trusted Defender Helm. I had that character leading the way, and she was often fatigued. The catch? Characters wearing the helm (gnomes and halflings) are supposed to be immune from fatigue effects. The effect always remained until I unequipped then re-equipped the Helm.

They all sleep. I thought he was just making a joke...

<font color = mediumspringgreen>Otto,

No, wasn't joking. Yes, in a hotel everybody gets the benefit. However, I know I have had instances where my party slept in the caves and were NOT awakened by monsters, yet the party leader did not regain spells. The only tacit assumption I made was that the effect extended to relieving fatigue. this might be a bug (though I highly doubt it), but I know I have experienced this. Has no one else?

</font>--------------------<font color = mediumspringgreen>
What's a party,
without a song?
Bards ROCK!
Party On!!
</font>

?!

Bug.

Whole party is supposed to sleep, unless interrupted. I have never encountered such a scenerio where only the party leader is fatigued.

I have. Not often. My party leader isn't often a caster anyway, so I don't notice whether or not it has an effect on spells.

I haven't seen this bug for a while, though - not since I got HoW.

I never experienced anything like this, but then I have HOW & TOTL installed. It must be a bug. There's nothing in the game text about the party leader having to stand watch.