This is my first time finishing QFG1, and I plan to take my Mage to QFG2 afterwards. He has Vitality, Magic and Flame Dart at 100, but everything else is lower - especially some spells are pretty low. Is it worth grinding the stats and skills/spells up? As I understand it, unlike QFG1, the sequel has a time limit, so if I want to do any grinding it should be done now?

Or do some stats and skills not transfer? What about inventory - I read that gold doesn't transfer, but how about potions, should I stock up?

QFG2 is time limited, but also very scripted in its story. As long as you do not use the Inn to waste time by sleeping away the days, you should have plenty of time to do what you need. I found that I had ample time to grind a magic user up to full in QFG2 (with some days to spare), though I did start with one that was mostly maxed from QFG1. In my case, I maxed out every non-zero stat, including all the combat stats. I skipped trying to max some utility spells that, as best I can tell from reading online, do not benefit from being at maximum (but do benefit from being above the level you get when you first learn them). Note that Q1 maxes out at 100 points, but Q2 maxes out at 200, so even if you grind to maximum in Q1, you have room to advance in Q2.

Gold transfers over, but not directly. You start Q2 with the money you earned in Q1, but none of the NPCs in Q2 accept Q1 money for buying items. You must find and visit the moneychanger, who will (for a percentage cut) take your Q1 money and give you Q2 money. Her cut is a function of how much money you convert in each exchange. The more money you exchange per transaction, the bigger her cut. There are two different desirable exchange sizes. One abuses rounding to minimize her cut (and maximize your money), but is very tedious. The other is less tedious, but still keeps her cut at the low end. The only time I found myself wanting for money was near the end of Q2, when I was trying to buy up as much as I could carry into Q3. Even so, I got what I needed.

250 with the wishes actually, but you can only use 2 of those to increase stats. No beard to sell? Or not wanting to abuse that?

Thanks! Which spells are the ones that don't need to be maxed?

BTW, I just realized I wasted hundreds of gold on mana potions which were never added to my inventory due to a glitch....

I assumed (without checking) that it was a one-shot quest. I sold one bit of beard, and never tried to get/sell more.

There was a glitch in an older version of Quest for Glory 2 (I don't think it's the GOG version, but I could be wrong) where you could sell a beard repeatedly to Keapon Laffin even if you didn't have it.

Anyways, regarding that question...

Maxing Zap, Flame Dart, and maybe Calm and Dazzle would be a good idea. In QFG2 itself, maxing Reversal is also a good idea, in addition to maxing the former.

Open and Fetch skills don't matter much past the first game... I only really use Open as a method of grinding up intelligence and magic.

I ended up maxing them all, though didn't see an easy way to grind STR quickly so that was left at 81.

What exactly is the use of Zap though? In QFG1 VGA at least it took too long to switch between Melee and Magic in the middle of combat to make it worthwhile, so I only ever used it to make the first melee attack hit harder.

I shouldn't have bothered spending all my gold on potions, since potions did not make the transfer. I wound up with 223 Gold after importing into QFG2 - I hope that came from it liquidating my consummables? Would hate to think the potions were a complete waste.

It doesn't liquidate your consumables, sorry.

Zap's point is that it's a spell you can pre-prepare to deal an extra amount of damage. The charge lasts overnight, so you can cast it, go to sleep, and greet the day with full MP (hopefully) and a full bar of MP.

A dazzled enemy also allows you to recast Zap before going back on the offensive with Flame Dart.

Also, starting in the fourth game, Zap becomes a lot more powerful since you can cast it instantly in battle with no animation just by pressing Z on the keyboard - and in the fifth game, you can cast Zap on any number of weapons in your inventory, including an entire stack of throwing weapons. Throwing electrified rocks at enemies isn't a bad way to fight.

Be warned that the third game has a glitch where Zap has no effect and you gain no experience for it when cast outside of combat. Thankfully, when you spam-cast it in combat, it can get capped fairly quickly

Attack grinding with Uhara will get you up to power pretty quickly. If it makes you feel any better, money is fairly useless in QFG3. The game bumps you up to a level where you can get every key item necessary and one of every secondary item from the start. The one who comes the closest to broke is the Wizard for having to buy three Dispel Potions.

Unless you tell Salim about Julanar, at which point, he will give you the dispel potions for free when it comes time to buy them.

Oooo... didn't know that! Thanks!