I know some of you out there have played this game and I'm quite impressed by it, but the manual is..well, it'd make a good liner for a hamster cage! LOL :D It really hasn't got much info.

Can someone tell me how one pick pockets? Do you need a special skill? I'm beginning to think so and I have a Mage for a character. And how do you USE the wizard sight (not sure of the name just now, but it's supposed to let you see an area of the map that's dark). I mean how does one actually make it work? I've tried variations of pointing/clicking and think I'm missing something!

Is the physical or magic shield worth expending mana on? I've not figure out yet if it makes a difference in fights. Should I put more into lightening or spikes or summons etc? I've been using my meteor strike and summoning almost exclusively with the spikes coming in handy for swarms of enemies and.. LOL....mosquitoes! HAHAHAHA... easier to do one 'spike' spell when they're all around than to target each with a sword! :D

When I ran a mage, I considered the physical and magic shields to be well worth having. I grabbed them as soon as I could. My main spell was the meteorstrike and the freeze (love that freeze). Hellspikes are also good, especially late in the game.

I never did do the pickpocket bit, even with the thief character, so can't help with that. Ditto for the wizard sight spell, which I don't think I ever used.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Oh yes! FREEZE is great. I forgot I use that alot, on critters like lizard-men and humans! Doesn't do much good with trolls and undead! LOL

Did you find a mage as competent to finish a game as a survivor/fighter would be? Did you finish all the quests or were some just not possible to finish?

I couldn't get in to kill that vampire for ages! Finally did pick the lock but I wonder if it was a waste of a skill to make lockpicking possible?!

Now the game is coming back to me again (I've been playing Wiz 8 again and the DD details faded).

What I did with all my characters was to take no more than a point in PP or LP and use items and the thieves guild to build up the points. Pickpocket is useful in only one instance, and that's optional (but worth doing).

My preferred character was a fighter with a few spells, but I did finish the game with a mage, who did complete almost all the quests (there were a couple I missed, but they weren't critical). So yes, the mage is a viable character.

Note: merchant inventories are randomized. The items for sale are chosen the moment you talk to the merchant. I always saved first, because (after I knew the game), I had a good idea of what I wanted. Stocks turn over at different rates for different merchants, with a minimum of 24 hours since your last visit. Most are longer than that.

You need either lockpick 3 or telekinesis 3 to get the door open (TK will move the lever on the wall). Just so you know for the future ;)

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Aha! Thanks for the helpful hints, Nightowl!!! TK will work on such things... now that's one I'd never have guessed!

I'm in Verdistis but haven't done the gardens in Rivertown (Blake, the merchant, hasn't offered me the key yet, apparently doesn't like me enough!) and haven't done Stormfist castle yet....not sure I didn't miss something in the sewers of the town either, as I got up into a few rooms but could see treasure and not get into the rooms, wondered if it was a back way into the castle.

Any suggestions what to finish first?

Hi Cloudy i would do the Stormfist castle as late as possible because your teleporterstones will be stolen and you will not get them back before wery late in the game. I would do the thief quests first, then save the boy in the Dark Cave, next clean out the Trolls in the cave at the bridge, then clean out the Church quest this way you get tons of exp hehe :D
And a hint wery cool to get WERY much exp is to learn "Deadly Gift" spell the get so many "scorpion traps" cages you can get they can be purchased by the "thief" or what it is in the Mercant area on the right side of the "smith" who sale wapons...then when you have many of those go to the Dark Forrest and find the Mountain Trolls then release 2 or 3 spiders they kill the Trolls in no time be sure you have invisible spell on your self because the Trolls kill you in one blow and i think you get 13000 exp for each Troll you kill....

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Hint get the portable bed in the abdoned house north of the Abbey it looks like an normale bed but you can take it and put it into your invetory then you can use this to sleep wherever you are. The key to the door is in front of the house only use the "alt" key then you will find it. :D

[ 01-05-2004, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: Megabot ]

Yeah, the scorpion traps are almost like cheating ;)

I agree, put off going to the castle as long as you can. It's going to turn nasty and you need a fairly strong character to make it through. My first time in the game I went much too early and finally had to restore an earlier save.

Blake won't give you the key until you build up your rep and do something spectacular, such as the orc quests from the captain or saving the boy from the vampire.

The Verdistis sewers are mainly optional; they're meant for gaining experience and treasure. They have nothing to do with the plot itself.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Ack, how do you use those traps!? I never have, just sell them because I didn't know what to do with them!

Ok, I kind of figured the sewers added xp and I'm going to do them for that reason, soon as I find a way in! I just did the Cirgon thing (he'd scarred a guys face, turns out the guy slept with his wife, but Cirgon also beat her...etc)...what I wasn't sure about is would it be better to let Cirgon live or to challenge him... I tried letting him go and didn't see if I got any xp.

Help! I cannot figure out the system for charming items! So far I have only ever been able to add ONE charm to anything, even things with 4 slots! What do I need to do?

The two of them are a lovely pair, huh? I always let the guy live, and yes, you do get experience for the quest (even tho marked as failed in the journal) when you report back to whatshisname who gave you the job.

As I vaguely recall now, setting traps works something like making the traps skill the current one, then cycling through the trap types until scorpion comes up. Then you click (don't remember if that's left or right click, sorry) where you want the trap placed and there it is, alive and kicking. You would normally do this when an enemy or ten are nearby. I suggest saving the game and playing around with that to get the details set. Then you'll know what to do when a fight really starts.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Ack, I think the version I saved was where my char challenged him and killed him... oh well, maybe next time!

I think this means I need a 'trap' skill next time! I've been missing out on those things! I did just gain the ability to summon a demon creature (deathknight), though! Was just in the Verdistis sewer, vanquised dozens of lizard nasties then a lighting lizard guy attacked... I polymorphed him to a rabbit, the skeletons and deathknight chased him around and I froze him a few times... LOL.. that was pretty wild! When the skels killed the lighting lizard-rabbit it dropped a huge shield!

BTW, anyone remember how to get into the basement at the Merchants guild? I wanna save that girl's kitty!

The scorpion traps are one of the most useful things... you do need the traps skill for it, though. Select the skill, select the trap, and then right-click. Down in the orc encampments, I like to let loose about ten scorpions at a time, and just follow along to collect the goodies :D There's another dungeon where they come in really handy as well... I forget which one.

I haven't cared much for the rest of the traps (spider mines and whatnot). They're not as helpful.

To get into the basement, you need the key. I think you do a favor for the merchant's guild, or you steal it some place.

As for charming, the number of charms you can place is dictated by your charm skill level. It sounds like you're at level 1... when you go up, you can add more.

Didja know the charm cheat?
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Open the item up multiple times, and you can put a charm into the first slot on each one of the times you've opened it up. Nice way to create an uber-powerful... weapon or whatever.

The scorpion traps are bugged.

When you have the traps even to level 2 and then the ray of command skill where they follow you around, theres almost nothing for you to do the rest of the game.

The only monsters that can take on two scorpion traps are josephina and the dragon riders.

So in general I recomend not using the scorpion traps and the game will be much more challenging.
Except in fighting josephina, because she is also bugged and in that case its fair.

Each point in charm skill allows you to add another charm to an item. Even though a item may have four slots open, with a skill of 1, you can add only one charm to it. As noted above, there is a bug that lets you add more when you're not supposed to, but I only used it once myself to see that it worked. Between that and the scorpions, the game becomes trivial.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Ack, 'charm skill' is that to charm weapons? I added what I thought was the 'charm' skill but it looks to be a 'charm person' skill! Obviously I'm not looking in the right places! LOL

Geez, I have been playing all this time and never used a single trap?! LOLOL! Well, at least we know you can survive without them, but it's not easy! :D

I haven't played the game in awhile, but I think it's called something like "enchant weapon", which is very misleading. Many items besides weapons come with charm slots. If you were able to insert a charm into an item, then you took the skill somewhere along the line.

As for surviving without traps, that's not hard to do, really. I think I only used traps in one game myself. Of course, it does help to be familiar withh DD, too ;)

<center>Nightowl</center>

Enchant weapon! Duh! I did take one level of that way back in the beginning thinking it would be a spell to temporarily make the weapon magic like in BG/NWN!

Heh. Well, now you know better. But since you have the skill and know what it does, you can augment it as you gain levels and put more charms in your items.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Thanks, Nightowl,you're a great help!

Megabot! Thank you SO much for telling me where that portable bed was! I'd heard there was one but would NEVER have thought to pick that one up! :D

You know even less known than the portable bed is the in game portable bed the designers intended.

You can combine two correct peices of hay from your inventory to create a bed to sleep in.

There are tutorials about it all over the farmlands. All the dungeons include peices of hay for you to find and use.

However, its very tough to do right. You can experiment with it. This also is something that causes a crash to desktop with some people.

BTW, Divine Divinity is just super. It has so much content. Its in my top 5 crpgs ever definitely. And Beyond Divinity comes out in march.

Hi Mighty stamar! I knew about the hay, but didn't know you could put some in your inventory! :D Thanks!

I just saw that Beyond Divinity was goint to be coming out... very cool!

Anyone got tips on raising reputation scores? Mines' a lowly 16 and I hear you lose points when you do a few quests. I need to get the merchant Blake to sell me a key to the Nericon gardens and so far he's only a positive 41 toward me and won't offer it.

I only need 11 reputation scores to enable blake sell me the keys. I've heard different character it'll need different reputation scores. I played as male warrior.

How do you get him to offer the keys? I never get any conversation options and the keys aren't in the goods he offers for sale!

Blake always sold me the key after I had completed the two Orc quests. The gardens, alas, do not yield up any great amount of treasure (I found taht surprising myself), though you can add a point to your healing skill by answering the statue's questions correctly.

Yes, you will lose some rep when you join the thieves guild, but it's not so bad. You will lose some more again later after you visit the castle. However, by doing as many quests as possible, you can get your rep up to a good number; I usually waited for mine to be 40+ before the castle, for instance (and that's with joining the thieves).

<center>Nightowl2</center>

argh... I can't imagine how I'll get it up to that number from 16 before the castle! sigh.... I have to learn not to 'borrow' things in front of people! LOL

Don't let it get ya down. First time through I missed plenty myself. There is a LOT to do in this game. Good thing there's no time limits (that I recall, anyway). Just take your time. Pretty much all the quests will give you one or more rep points. Don't forget there will be things to do in the forest, too.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Whoohoo! Told Mardaneus about the murderer and now have a 21 rep! But Blake STILL doesn't offer me a key....it's weird, could it be a bug, or did I maybe miss his offer once and now it won't be repeated?!

Try talking to him about rare items, then check his inventory to see whether he sell the key.

'rare items' isn't a dialogue option, though! I get a chance to ask to see what he sells OR say thanks I'll talk to him later, no other options!

Ack! Did I mess this quest up somehow?

Hmm, you could have a problem then. There should be a conversation option to ask about items out of the ordinary. That shows up regardless of your current rep. When you click on that, Blake gives you the background on the gardens and mentions he has the key. Then there will be an option to buy the key, but he only sells if he likes your rep.

Are you SURE there is no option to ask about unusual items? This can be confusing, because you can ask a similar question of the potion guy.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Nope, not with Blake! Haven't seen it and have been looking for it lately!

Well, it's been some time now since I played the game, but there was always an option - I think it came first on the list of choices - that would start the conversation about Nericon's Gardens.

So you're saying you only get two: one to buy and one to leave? If so, then something is definitely wrong here. You may need to patch the game, though I played the unpatched original release and this part never gave me any trouble.

Dunno what to tell you otherwise, except that if you never get the key from Blake, it isn't a big deal. You miss out on very little overall.

<center>NIghtowl2</center>

Yes, and I just tested that theory! I only got the two options, buy something or thank him and drop out of the conversation! Could it be a bug, or did I blow the quest, do you think? My rep is 22 and he has a 46 admiring attitude toward me!

Hmm, I thought I DID patch the game... will have to check, I guess.

Ouch! That's not good. I can't think of anything that would prevent the option from showing in the list. It was always there for me, regardless of rep. The rep score only determines whether he'll sell you the key. Ummm.

What you could try is taking the game off, reinstalling, and not adding in the patch. You'd probably have to start over from the beginning with a new character (I'm not sure but it's the safer course). I played the original release and never patched it myself. Had no problems with Blake.

But like I said (wrote) earlier, the gardens are not critical in the game. You get a random amount of cash, a frog statuette, and maybe a point of healing skill from the statue in the garden. Not a great haul for a lot of work.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Bah it is not so much interesting in the garden anyway Cloudy you can visit it later in the game trie to do the Mercant House quests then DONT kill the girl then your rep will be even higher [img]smile.gif[/img]
Also save the boy in the Dark Cave be sure to use the traps here because the nasty Vampire kill you in no time! :D

Thanks NightOwl and Megabot! It just bugs me that I can't get in there! LOL But maybe I'll try adding some lockpick skills later and go for it.

I did drop every key I had just in case I had one that worked (someone at Larian studios forum mentioned a key in the alchemist's that opens the graveyard and I've already been in there- that might keep the trigger from happening) but no luck! :(

Mega, I killed that nasty ol' vampire! I couldn't get to him at first, locked gate and no key, but I did finally pick the lock and my skeletons helped take him out! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Have you been in the graveyard? The only way i get in there was when i had been trown out of the castle then the nasty woman teleport you to a cave then after the escape from that cave you end up inside the graveyard!!

Anyway have you "solved" the murder case in Verdistis? I also had a bit problem with the key to the garden once and i dont remeber what i did but suddently Blake sold me the key but as i remember vague i think it was after the murder thingy in Verdistis (also an damn Vampire) in the cellar of the wine mercant house that is the murder, and i also did all the millitary quests first in matter of fact i had done 90% of all the quest in that region.

[ 01-12-2004, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: Megabot ]

Uh oh. I think that explains your problem, Cloudy. There's a bug in the game which lets Nericon's key open the graveyard. That's not supposed to happen, but it can if you use the key there. And then you can never get into the gardens, because technically the key doesn't exist any more (the key vanishes when used).

So I guess you can forget about the gardens this game. Next time, talk to Blake before doing anything, and stay out of the graveyard.

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Ack! Oh well, I guess I will know better the next time around! Sheesh, I really do things backward and sideways if left to my own devices! I think that's why I do better at dungeon crawls with more linear plots, like IWD! :D