i know nothing an need help

[megan row]

hello to everyone,
i just got the game baldurs gate and tob and i need to create a char and so on. is there anything like best hints or faq for beginners?
thanks
mr

[Feral]

Welcome to the forum! [Someone will be along shortly to do the wave for you - that exceeds my techno-capabilities]

There is a FAQ at your fingertips - at the top of this forum - and covers the basic concepts. Other than that, if you want to remain spoiler-free (which is highly recommended), check out this site: http://www.geocities.com/sixospades/bg/contents.htm

Have fun and experiment with the game.

[CerebroDragon]

I think this would be the first time I've done this. for anyone...oh the joy!

WELCOME TO IRONWORKS!
[img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

Hope you enjoy your role-playing experiences in Faerun and get all the xp you deserve!

Be sure to use the 'search' function here at Ironworks as much as you can, as there are lots of archived posts which may help you with anything you need to know. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[mad=dog]

My best recommendation is trial by error. There is nothing more rewarding than a genuine discovery. "Wow. There's a great sword hidden there. Wonder if it can be used to kill the Big Banger that's been bugging me" is so much nicer than "Oh this smart dude at the boards told me to do this and that to kill the Big Banger. Now I see it. I feel so stupid". Hope you get my drift.
The game is low on puzzles and high on combat though so get ready so strap yourself down for some clicke-ti-click on bad guys. And good guys if thats your liking. The game doesn't try to enforce any morals on you. You can quest for glory, power or both.
Fighter types are usually easier to start, but harder to complete and this game is no exception. A warrior will have more juice to start out with, but in the end a wizard can do tremendous damage.

My pledge: This post is entirely non-spoily. Nothing contained in this post can be considered useful apart from the obvious.

[Bozos of Bones]

Spammer! [img]smile.gif[/img]
I've started the game about a week ago with a sorcerer, and the beggining was though, as he starts with really bad spell selection(bad as in not versatile) but chromatic orbs kill fast, and that's mostly how I survived the prologue. I'm now in chapter three and the guy(lv 12) rocks! What you must learn with spellcasters is not to pick the really-cool-damage spells but spells that you think would work geat when coupled with other spells. Greater Malison works wonders against high-level enemies when coupled with basic offense spells(Magic Missles, Skull Trap), Ensnare and such is fantastic with Ice Storm or like lingering spells.
This game easily tops for the best game ever, by my standards.
P.S.
A friend told me that you could get your own wizard's tower and produce enchanted items, scrolls and wands and the like. Is that true, and if yes, when, where and how can one do that?

[Dirty Meg]

A few hints with minimal spoilers...

It will be slightly easier overall, particularly at the begining, if you take a hard-ass fighter type char but if you feel you would rather roleplay a character with more diverse skills (theif, mage, cleric etc...) obviously take the char type that you would most enjoy playing. Also if you do take a fighter type, you may want to have her/him proficient in halberds... There are several great halberds in the game and no NPC who specializes in halberds.

Set your char's most important skill (str for fighter/ranger/paladin type, dex for theif, etc...) as high as possible (17, 18 or 19 depending on race). Set your constitution to 16. This is the best value for all classes (spellcasters and rogues don't get any advantage from having it any higher, fighters don't need it higher since they are pretty tough anyway). Dex is important to all classes as it provides an armour bonus.

Don't take a multiclass cleric/mage. They really suck.

Don't take a sorcerer unless you are very familiar with the spell system in the game.

If you are taking a single class char, I would highly recommend taking a 'kit' as opposed to a vanilla character of any given class. They have more character and so are more fun to roleplay and they are generaly better.

Good luck and all that...

[Dirty Meg]

And don't steal my name 8)

[Feral]

Since people got right into giving you specific advice, a few points:

- A multiclass cleric/mage sucks only if you don't know the spell systems well. Ditto sorceror. Either one is kind of a tough choice for your first game.

- Don't solo on your first run through the game - you'll miss out on some of the most fun aspects of the game and will likely find it frustratingly difficult for a long time.

to Bozos of Bones - slight SPOILER:
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Yes, but it's not a tower - it's more round than that. Is that enough of a hint? And you can get it anytime (though a low level party will have trouble acquiring it). Let me know if you want more details.

[Dirty Meg]

'- A multiclass cleric/mage sucks only if you don't know the spell systems well. Ditto sorceror. Either one is kind of a tough choice for your first game.' - Feral

Sorcerers are great but only if you know the spell system inside out.

Mage/clerics suuuuuuuuuuck.
Clerics are the worst spell casters of all the spell casting classes. They make up for it by being pretty good in a fight (good HP, can wear any armour). If you combine the cleric with a mage they become a liability in a fight as well as a mediocre spellcaster.
Spellcasters are weak at low levels, but are really powerful at high levels. Multiclass them and you take twice as long to get at the high level spells.
Mages and clerics have no skills in common. Mages need good int (to learn spells) and good dex (to compensate for inability to wear armour and low HP) clerics need good wisdom. To excel in three statistics you will need to reroll your scores for an hour before playing.
Mage/cleric multiclasses are no use in a fight, either with ranged weapons (they can only use slings) or with h2h weapons (with poor AC and low HP they will die very easily). They are only useful as spellcasters, at which they are worse than a fully fledged mage or sorcerer.

[Firestormalpha]

Ohhoohohhoh... Ummmmm... Don't take this the wrong way, but learn what you need to ask, then ask? As far as general hints and tips, I think the others got it covered. Just remember that anytime someone says something sucks it's purely opinion. Don't let their opinions stop you from experimenting.