AD&D rules

[Jaradu]

I have been playing BG2 SoA for quite some time now. Although I prefer to use fighters when I play, I find it much easier using a sorcerer.

Anyway, there are a few things I don't understand about the AD+D rules used.
So, please, can someone answer the following questions or provide links to websites which explain the rules? Thanks.

1) Is it true that THAC0 and armour class and all those statistics are better if they are lower?

2) Say, for example, an attack requires a d20 to be rolled. Does that mean twenty dice or a twenty-sided dice? This is forever confusing me.

Also, there are some basic BG2 questions I would like some answers to:

1) Is it better to get on with the quests and chapters, or to spend as much time as possible venturing the lands, killing anything unholy that moves for the sake of experience?

2) How come, when I gain levels, I cannot add 'stars' to my skills with weapons and stances, eg. "Long sword" and "Sword and shield type"

My sorcerer and his party (Valygar, Minsc, Anomen, Yoshimo, Jaheira (Is that ok?)) are at chapter 3, trying to dispatch the guild of vampires for the shadow thieves. I can sense a major battle perhaps involving Irenicus drawing near, though I feel I simply am not ready. Another thing, I cannot afford decent stuff! I kill a few of creatures, do a couple of quests, sell a few bits and bobs; though this does not give me enough money to buy great and magical armour for my team. I feel unprepared and need the equipment badly if I want to face whatever dangers lie in the next chapters. Is time the answer? Be patient..... ARGH!

Any help would be greatly appreciated, heck I'm grateful for you just READING this long post.

[Xen]

Originally posted by Jaradu: 1) Is it true that THAC0 and armour class and all those statistics are better if they are lower? 2) Say, for example, an attack requires a d20 to be rolled. Does that mean twenty dice or a twenty-sided dice? This is forever confusing me. Also, there are some basic BG2 questions I would like some answers to: 1) Is it better to get on with the quests and chapters, or to spend as much time as possible venturing the lands, killing anything unholy that moves for the sake of experience? 2) How come, when I gain levels, I cannot add 'stars' to my skills with weapons and stances, eg. "Long sword" and "Sword and shield type" My sorcerer and his party (Valygar, Minsc, Anomen, Yoshimo, Jaheira (Is that ok?)) are at chapter 3, trying to dispatch the guild of vampires for the shadow thieves. I can sense a major battle perhaps involving Irenicus drawing near, though I feel I simply am not ready. Another thing, I cannot afford decent stuff! I kill a few of creatures, do a couple of quests, sell a few bits and bobs; though this does not give me enough money to buy great and magical armour for my team. I feel unprepared and need the equipment badly if I want to face whatever dangers lie in the next chapters. Is time the answer? Be patient..... ARGH! Any help would be greatly appreciated, heck I'm grateful for you just READING this long post.

It would be wise to read the Forum FAQ
to answer your Q about it.


1*-About quests and all. Do whatever you want. I do all the quests in the game

2*-Again read the FAQ!


3*-Do Trademeet quest. You will get A LOT of money and a few reputation points!


Oh and welcome! [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

I will not spoil you about what lies ahead. Just play!

[Gangrell]

Spoilers ahead.
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AD&D
1) Considering this is 2nd Edition based, I'm going to say yes.
2) You use a twenty-sided dice.

BG2
1)If you're saying is it better to stick soley to the game storyline without venturing out to Windspear, De'Arnise Keep and so forth, I wouldn't say so. Doing those quests give you a lot of experience, gold, and very good items.
2)Depends what class you are. Tepicly, if you have a fighter, you get to add a star to one of your weapon profiencies every 2 to 3 levels, it's different for most classes.

For some good amounts of gold, I suggest doing Renal Bloodscalp's Shadow Thief Quest in the docks, go through the de'Arnise Keep, or you can go to Mae'Var's Guildhall. Reason I say this, is because you can buy an infinite amount of maces +2 and sell them back for a higher amount of gold than what you paid for them.

Also, Welcome to the Ironworks [img]graemlins/dancing.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dancing.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dancing.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dancing.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/dancing.gif[/img]

Edit: Spoiler Tags

[ 07-30-2003, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Gangrell ]

[Xen]

You don`t necceseraly pay for them. You can steal them. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[andrewas]

1) For saves, your trying to roll above your save accounting for any penalties or bonus the spell in question gives, so you want saves to be low.

For THACO your trying to roll above your THACO minus your opponents AC. You want both numbers to be low.

For the other stats - Lore, the primary 6, resistance, higher is better.

2)the general notation is NdM , where N is the number of dice and M is the number of sides. so 1d20 is 1 20-sided die, 3d6+4 is 3 6-sided dice + 4.

3)You can make the midgame a bit easier by doing a lot of quests early on, but the late game will be much the same and there is a disadvantage to doing too much before leaving to rescue Imoen.

4) You only get prof points at certain levels - fighters every 3 levels, clerics/thieves every 4 and mages every 6.

5) Y'know, I damn near Died when I saw what was for sale in Athkatla. +2 weaponry readily available. +3 and +4 if you know where to look. After BG1 where to get a +3 sword you have to go through 4 levels of the most devious dungeon ever constructed, the equipment in BG2 is exceedingly generous.

The equipment you have is almost certainly adequate for this point in the game, and you will find better as you go on. If you seriously lack something, the adventurers mart has some very nice gear and theres some great stuff to be found just be exploring. Money can be hard to come by early on, but later on you will have plenty.

[Gangrell]

Originally posted by Xen: You don`t necceseraly pay for them. You can steal them. [img]smile.gif[/img]

True, but you need about 200 points in the Stealing ability to steal as much as you want without getting caught.

Ps- If you did steal them, you wouldn't be able to sell them, they're considered "fenced" items then.

[Jaradu]

Thanks, guys! This has made a lot of stuff clearer.

[Gangrell]

Originally posted by andrewas: 5) Y'know, I damn near Died when I saw what was for sale in Athkatla. +2 weaponry readily available. +3 and +4 if you know where to look. After BG1 where to get a +3 sword you have to go through 4 levels of the most devious dungeon ever constructed, the equipment in BG2 is exceedingly generous.

I've never played BG1, but if I remember right, you don't exceed 10th level do you?

Originally posted by Jaradu: Thanks, guys! This has made a lot of stuff clearer.

No problem, come back anytime if you need more help [img]graemlins/cheers.gif[/img]

[ 07-30-2003, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: Gangrell ]

[Xen]

Originally posted by Jaradu: Thanks, guys! This has made a lot of stuff clearer.

No problem!

]

[ 07-30-2003, 04:46 PM: Message edited by: Xen ]

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Gangrell: quote: Originally posted by Xen: You don`t necceseraly pay for them. You can steal them. [img]smile.gif[/img]

True, but you need about 200 points in the Stealing ability to steal as much as you want without getting caught.

Ps- If you did steal them, you wouldn't be able to sell them, they're considered "fenced" items then. [/QUOTE]You can sell ANY item to the fence in the Shadow Thieve's Guild in the Docks District. She has her table set up right in front of the entrance.

Surprisingly, she is also one of the easiest "shopkeepers" to steal from. So have your thief drink 1 Potion of Master Thievery, then go down the list of items, steal the most expensive ones, then you can turn around and sell them right back to her.

As a precaution, you might want to SAVE the game after successfully snatching 2-3 items, because your luck will run out eventually. When that happens, just do a quick re-load and begin where you left off.

This is a very cheesy way to make some quick money early in the game without taking time to do all the different quests. Then you can go to the Adventurer's Mart or Copper Coronet and use you newfound wealth to better equip your party for those quests.