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Baldur's Gate seriesHow do you guys start out in Baldur's Gate I?(20 posts)(20 posts)
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Posted August 02, 2012
The first game in the series, unlike the second one, doesn't start your character in an ideal level like level 8 or 9, instead, it starts you at level 1. Now for hardcore players, they wouldn't be able to see the problem here as they can handle whatever Faerun throws at them, but for me this is too hard. I find myself dying quite easily and every time my companions die, I reload(I like playing the game realistically, I reload whenever someone dies, which is a lot). I get that this game requires a lot of trial and error, but please, could anyone lend me some starting-out tips or maybe a good build to start with? Also, you really don't need to do it if you don't want to, but if you could share some good character portraits as well, then I'd be grateful.
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Posted August 02, 2012
Easiest to start is playing with a fighter. Roll until you get a good stat sum, maximize str, dex, con and cha, dump int and wis to get the stat points needed.
Specialize in bows and swords, buy a composite long bow and many arrows, ranged combat rules in this game, when you get another proficiency point at level 3 raise your bow proficiency to 3.

Pausing the game in combat to assign commands helps a lot, enabling autopause can help even more.
Posted August 02, 2012
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kmonster: Easiest to start is playing with a fighter. Roll until you get a good stat sum, maximize str, dex, con and cha, dump int and wis to get the stat points needed.
Specialize in bows and swords, buy a composite long bow and many arrows, ranged combat rules in this game, when you get another proficiency point at level 3 raise your bow proficiency to 3.

Pausing the game in combat to assign commands helps a lot, enabling autopause can help even more.
Why put points in a ranged weapon? When I played as a Cavalier in BG2, I didn't need ranged weapons at all.
Posted August 02, 2012
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Zorgfin: Why put points in a ranged weapon? When I played as a Cavalier in BG2, I didn't need ranged weapons at all.
BG1 is a different game than BG2. Everything moves more slowly so you waste more attacks when walking towards you target, bows and arrows do more damage and for low level characters the extra attack per round bows grant makes a bigger difference. And BG2 is easier than BG1.

You can reduce the difficulty for hard battles in BG1 but set it back to normal again afterwards to avoid getting less XP.
Posted August 02, 2012
don't fight at the beginning with wolves and bears. get a team of six before doing any actual fighting.
Posted August 02, 2012
I don't search for them, they appear randomly. Also, do you know some way I could power level my characters with?
Posted August 02, 2012
Seriously, listen to kmonster: ranged attacks. Have all of your party members* use ranged weapons as long as possible until you absolutely have to melee. Run away when you encounter something that looks too tough if you have to. And don't explore off the beaten track right away until you've grabbed a level or two. Concentrate your fire on one enemy at a time.

*Early on you can pick up Imoen as a companion and shortly after that you can grab Xzar and Montaron. With the 4 of you, you should have few problems if you all use ranged weapons.
Posted August 02, 2012
Use Stealth to scout the area and then pick your battles. Don't attack Ogres and Dire Wolves with first level characters. And as others have suggested, assemble a team of six first and have most of them use bows.
Also, another advantage with stealth is that the hidden character can backstab, usually for an instant kill on bandits and hobgoblins. Then have the backstabber run away while the rest of the party rains arriows on the remaining enemies.
Enemies with bows are usually more dangerous than the same type of enemies with melee weapons, so target the archers first, and remember that characters in melee get huge negative modifiers if attempting missile fire.
Posted August 03, 2012
Does this look good?

Race:Human

Class:Paladin

Stats:

Str:18/00

Dex:18

Con:18

Int:6(or maybe 11 if I'm lucky)

Wis:13(to make use of Limited Wish when I import him to BG2)

Weapon prof.:

Bows:++
Melee weapon(can't decide which way to go):++

Is this a good build?

I fixed it. Now, can anyone give me some feedback?
Post edited August 03, 2012 by Zorgfin
Posted August 03, 2012
You using mods? 1/2 Orcs can't be Paladins (only Humans can, IIRC).
Posted August 03, 2012
The only thing that I used which qualifies as a mod is Baldur's Gate Trilogy.
Posted August 03, 2012
If you can't roll a paladin with stats that good 18/51-99 str will be sufficient. Paladins can't cast limited wish and even if you were a mage it wouldn't be worth wasting stat points for it. Some players hear that a seemingly useless stat has a minimal usefulness and suddenly think everything really useful must be dumped for it.

Baldur's Gate Trilogy uses the BG2 engine, so bows are a little less poweful and your characters move faster, the monsters still have BG1 speed, use it to your advantage. You can set the difficulty to the easiest level without loosing XP and it will get a lot easier so you can just continue with the characters you tried. If you want to play a cavalier you can specialize in axes or daggers so you have a throwing option.

With BGT you can start with a sorcerer with 18 str, 18 dex and 16+ con which will be very powerful and fun. Pick find familiar to get many extra HP and a very strong ally and sleep to instantly disable your enemies. At level 3 you can add shield, at level 4 mirror image and at level 5 magic missile.
Posted August 03, 2012
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kmonster: If you can't roll a paladin with stats that good 18/51-99 str will be sufficient. Paladins can't cast limited wish and even if you were a mage it wouldn't be worth wasting stat points for it. Some players hear that a seemingly useless stat has a minimal usefulness and suddenly think everything really useful must be dumped for it.

Baldur's Gate Trilogy uses the BG2 engine, so bows are a little less poweful and your characters move faster, the monsters still have BG1 speed, use it to your advantage. You can set the difficulty to the easiest level without loosing XP and it will get a lot easier so you can just continue with the characters you tried. If you want to play a cavalier you can specialize in axes or daggers so you have a throwing option.

With BGT you can start with a sorcerer with 18 str, 18 dex and 16+ con which will be very powerful and fun. Pick find familiar to get many extra HP and a very strong ally and sleep to instantly disable your enemies. At level 3 you can add shield, at level 4 mirror image and at level 5 magic missile.
So I can drop those 2 points from bow and spend them on whichever weapon style I wish instead? Do you think dual-wield and long swords for a Paladin is a good idea? I'll only use them in BG1, but when I'm coming towards the end I'll add points into two weapon style and two handed swords for that sexy holy avenger. Is it possible to do all of what I've said? If not, then in your opinion, what's a good combo of profs?
Posted August 03, 2012
If you're not going to use missile weapons cavalier is better than pure paladin.

If dualwielding is worth it depends on your playing style. If you have 6 characters attacking and 1 leading character who's the only one getting attacked dualwielding will only help 1 of 6 attackers doing more damage while AC bonus from single weapon style or shield will help to resist all enemy attacks. There are quite some magical longswords in the game.

Which profs are best to take depends on your playing style and which profs the other party members have so you can share the weapons you find. Even going 2-handed swords, 2-handed weapon style and and quarterstaves works, you are only one of 6 party members.

Just be aware that if you are a melee only character that it's often better to stand and wait for the enemies while your party members are shooting than running towards them, giving them the opportunity to attack earlier.
Post edited August 03, 2012 by kmonster
Posted August 03, 2012
Any kit beats pure paladin, Inquisitor really is the best of them. Stats should look something like this if you can:

STR: 18/51-00
DEX: 18
CON: 18
INT: 10
WIS: 13
CHA: 17-18

That last two can't go any lower, the first three SHOULDN'T go any lower and I find 10 INT is handy for readings scrolls and whatnot. Plus I hate the idea of my character being a halfwit.

If you roll Cavalier max out 2-Handed Swords and 2-Handed style, then put points into other 2-handed weapons, since they will benefit from the 2-Handed style bonuses. Like kmonster said, quarterstaves are a good secondary weapon skill. Dual wielding is not optimal for a Paladin.

If you roll Inquisitor, which I recommend, max out 2-Handed Swords, either Longbows or Crossbows, then 2-Handed style, then additional 2-handed weapons.
Post edited August 03, 2012 by GoatBoySteve
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Baldur's Gate seriesHow do you guys start out in Baldur's Gate I?(20 posts)(20 posts)
(20 posts)