Spellhold Question

Captain SlackBladder · 03-17-2003, 04:18 AM

I am playing through the game for the second time and have reached spellhold.
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The robed figure (you know who) shows me around spellhold and the inhabitants. I spoke to the previous head of spellhold, and he gave me a note. Total gibberish. Does anyone know how to decipher it ? And if so, is it important ? I have never seen this before despite completing the game (inc. TOB).

Many thanks.

Zarr · 03-17-2003, 08:42 AM

Beware Spoiler!
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I've heard of this before too but unfortunately I don't know how to decipher the letter. What I think it is is a clue about the pantalons enigma which means if you get the three pantalons you can make the big metal unit, I could be wrong though.

EDIT: Oh and nice to see another Brit here at Ironworks, welcome!

[ 03-17-2003, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Zarr ]

andrewas · 03-17-2003, 09:12 AM

IIRC, that note is either a caesar cipher or a monophonic substitution. Whichever, theres a key for it on baldurdash.

To break it yourself, a caesar cipher is the alphabet moved along a certain number of spaces. So, in ceasar 1, a=b, b=c, c=d, ... ,y=z, z=a.

In a monophonic subsitution, the letters are randomised. So you have to count frequencies, the most common letter is probably e, the second most common is probably a and so on. I think its caesar though, because that note is really to short for proper frequency analysis.

Thorfinn · 03-17-2003, 09:21 AM

By golly, you are right! It is a Caesar cipher. The wife and I both assumed it was not, and went through the effort to decode it. You are right there is not enough for a frequency analysis, but there are several words that are dead giveaways, like xli, xliq, xlet, and wli. Once you have those, the rest of the note is pretty trivial...

daan · 03-17-2003, 10:42 AM

and if you ask him long enough... eventually he'll give you a second, different note [img]smile.gif[/img]

SixOfSpades · 03-17-2003, 05:30 PM

Actually, the note can be decrypted by normal analysis--I certainly was able to. Just start with the small words (single-letter words are always either "a" or "I", so you've got common vowels right off the bat), and the note certainly has its share of small words, handing you most of the most common letters on a silver platter, just as Thorfinn said.

About the second note: There is no second note. Yeah, maybe if you look at the code, you'll see that there's a chance to be given a second note, but if I stood there for 15 minutes, collecting enough notes to fill the backpacks of every single member of my party (in stacks of 5), and all the notes were exactly the same, there IS no second note. (16 * 5 * 6 = 480 times that I did *not* get the 2nd note.)

Dundee Slaytern · 03-18-2003, 12:07 AM

There is a second note, but apparently it is random chance.

SixOfSpades · 03-18-2003, 12:06 PM

Tell you what....you go get the second note, I'll stay here and keep trying to roll natural 18s in all my stats.

Butterfingers · 03-18-2003, 12:09 PM

Inform the queen my pants are full of weasels!

Dundee Slaytern · 03-18-2003, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SixOfSpades:
Tell you what....you go get the second note, I'll stay here and keep trying to roll natural 18s in all my stats.

I personally never got it, but then I never really tried to get it in the first place anyway, but players( like Butterfingers

) certainly have been getting it. Baldurdash even mentions it.

[ 03-18-2003, 08:33 PM: Message edited by: Dundee Slaytern ]

03-17-2003, 08:42 AM	#2
Zarr Symbol of Cyric Join Date: June 19, 2002 Location: Northern Ireland Age: 40 Posts: 1,330	Beware Spoiler! * * * * * * * * I've heard of this before too but unfortunately I don't know how to decipher the letter. What I think it is is a clue about the pantalons enigma which means if you get the three pantalons you can make the big metal unit, I could be wrong though. EDIT: Oh and nice to see another Brit here at Ironworks, welcome! [ 03-17-2003, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: Zarr ] __________________ Minsc - \"Don\'t ask questions better left to aged sages\"<br /><br />\"You must gather your party before venturing forth\". BANG shoots him dead

03-17-2003, 09:12 AM	#3
andrewas Harper Join Date: October 2, 2001 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland Age: 42 Posts: 4,774	IIRC, that note is either a caesar cipher or a monophonic substitution. Whichever, theres a key for it on baldurdash. To break it yourself, a caesar cipher is the alphabet moved along a certain number of spaces. So, in ceasar 1, a=b, b=c, c=d, ... ,y=z, z=a. In a monophonic subsitution, the letters are randomised. So you have to count frequencies, the most common letter is probably e, the second most common is probably a and so on. I think its caesar though, because that note is really to short for proper frequency analysis. __________________ [img]\"http://www.sighost.us/members/Zvijer/andrewas.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

03-17-2003, 10:42 AM	#5
daan Silver Dragon Join Date: August 25, 2001 Location: - Age: 38 Posts: 1,644	and if you ask him long enough... eventually he'll give you a second, different note [img]smile.gif[/img] __________________ <strong> Odi et Amo. Quare id faciam facisse requires ? Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior </strong><br /><br /><strong> Amantem cogit amare magis, sed bene velle minus </strong>

03-17-2003, 05:30 PM	#6
SixOfSpades Dracolisk Join Date: September 16, 2001 Location: Bellingham, WA, USA Age: 46 Posts: 6,901	Actually, the note can be decrypted by normal analysis--I certainly was able to. Just start with the small words (single-letter words are always either "a" or "I", so you've got common vowels right off the bat), and the note certainly has its share of small words, handing you most of the most common letters on a silver platter, just as Thorfinn said. About the second note: There is no second note. Yeah, maybe if you look at the code, you'll see that there's a chance to be given a second note, but if I stood there for 15 minutes, collecting enough notes to fill the backpacks of every single member of my party (in stacks of 5), and all the notes were exactly the same, there IS no second note. (16 * 5 * 6 = 480 times that I did not get the 2nd note.) __________________ Volothamp's Comeuppance Everything you ever needed to know about the entire Baldur's Gate series......except spoilers.

03-18-2003, 12:06 PM	#8
SixOfSpades Dracolisk Join Date: September 16, 2001 Location: Bellingham, WA, USA Age: 46 Posts: 6,901	Tell you what....you go get the second note, I'll stay here and keep trying to roll natural 18s in all my stats. __________________ Volothamp's Comeuppance Everything you ever needed to know about the entire Baldur's Gate series......except spoilers.

03-17-2003, 04:18 AM	#1
Captain SlackBladder Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: December 27, 2002 Location: England Age: 55 Posts: 28	I am playing through the game for the second time and have reached spellhold. Spoiler (?) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The robed figure (you know who) shows me around spellhold and the inhabitants. I spoke to the previous head of spellhold, and he gave me a note. Total gibberish. Does anyone know how to decipher it ? And if so, is it important ? I have never seen this before despite completing the game (inc. TOB). Many thanks.

03-17-2003, 09:21 AM	#4
Thorfinn Zhentarim Guard Join Date: February 24, 2003 Location: Indiana Age: 61 Posts: 358	By golly, you are right! It is a Caesar cipher. The wife and I both assumed it was not, and went through the effort to decode it. You are right there is not enough for a frequency analysis, but there are several words that are dead giveaways, like xli, xliq, xlet, and wli. Once you have those, the rest of the note is pretty trivial...

03-18-2003, 12:07 AM	#7
Dundee Slaytern Ironworks Moderator Join Date: June 10, 2001 Location: Pasir Ris, Singapore Age: 41 Posts: 11,063	There is a second note, but apparently it is random chance.

03-18-2003, 12:09 PM	#9
Butterfingers Drizzt Do'Urden Join Date: November 30, 2002 Location: Five Flagons Inn Posts: 633	Inform the queen my pants are full of weasels!

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