Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn walkthrough

_____________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
& Throne of Bhaal (BG2 Expansion, PC)
FAQ/Walkthrough
_____________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

December 22, 2004
Version 8.4

Written by: Dan Simpson
Email: [email protected]

Use this subject: Baldur's Gate II v8.3

(emails with improper subjects MAY BE DELETED!)

Email Policy: (read before emailing me!)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Got a question? Check the Frequently Asked Questions section
first (it's after the walkthrough) to see if your question is
already answered.

If you see any mistakes, or have anything that you want to add
please email me! I will, of course, give you full credit for
your addition, and be eternally grateful to you. Email addresses
are not posted in the FAQ, unless you specifically state that
you want it to be.

Finally if you are on AOL and want a response from me, make sure
that your email is accepting from Hotmail (webmail). I have gotten
way too many emails returned from AOL with a message that the
person wasn't accepting from Hotmail.

______________________________________Notes____________________________________
You will find the most up to date version of this FAQ at:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.gamewinners.com/
http://www.cheatcc.com/

I also have an Item List FAQ & a Class FAQ both of which you can also find at
GameFAQs.

If you're having any sort of technical problem with the game, there are some
patches you should consider getting:

BG2: http://www.bioware.com/bgate2/bg2patch.shtml
ToB: http://www.bioware.com/bg2tob/bg2tobpatch.shtml

If you have serious BUG issues with BG2, this page will be your Bible:

http://www.baldurdash.org/

Throne of Bhaal, the Official Expansion to Baldur's Gate II is out.

Mod information has been given its own section, I.2, just after the Throne of
Bhaal introduction.

Special Thanks To: (see Final Words for a lengthier list)

Steotia, Craig Gibbens, Rabbit, Aleph, Death Crow, Jeremy Treanor, Grack,
Geoff Ulreich, Boogie, Souma, Blackhawk, Greymane, Vash, Max Chen, Taganath,
Chris Emery, ShirouKyoji, Tim Lou, Kevin Logan, Ken Baker, CJayC, Wai Chu Yu,
P.K., Willis Su, David Weldon, Ken Adams, Cyrille Artho, Hector E. Meza,
SpookyScarecrow, Mishael, Matri, Henning Roes, Travis Archer, Jonathan
Zimmerman, Redd Barren, Rick Harder, Rakhiir, David Lyons, Edward Adams,
Gabriel, Pedro R. Quaresma, ShirouKyoji, ANDY, Adar, Rolander, JP, Dominic,
Dranyth, Juky & 649 of 711, Kevin Chung, Ryan Brady, David Haire, Robert Pay,
Nick McIsaac, jayhc, Cornelius Chesterfield, Mike O, Snark, RCL,
James Prieels, Sarina, Per Jorner, Moby, Brad Beacham, Phobia, Pieter
Spronck, ROB, Harry Smith, Chris Norman, Jafar Sadeq, Jason Cha, Alexander
Ferguson, Brian Brus, alexcool, Marc Oliver, Tetrazome, Alex Malano, Khadgar,
Alan Cherry, Andrea Nicoli, Paul Dickinson, SloppyDogg, Gunslinger, John
Knudson, Brian Camley, John Winkleman, GOOD_ASH (Brian Phillips), Accord, Ard
/Eathlon, Brawny Lam, Daniel Pang, Clayton, James Victor, Vladislav Brkic,
Sergio Le Roux, Tim Marshal, Miguel, Doug Scheurich, Dave Loveland, CY Lee,
Braden, Konstantin, Jeremy Hanson, Corvus Albus, Gareth Embrey, the Maxx,
Lani Weaver, Michael Schneider, Carl Pettersson, Xander77, Alessio Ronchi,
Xar, Andrew Scarvell, K.C., John Howard

Anyone who emails me with nice things to say, you are appreciated!
And last, but not least, thanks to Bioware for making such a great game!

This FAQ looks best in a fixed-width font, such as Courier New.

I am not affiliated with Bioware, Black Isle, Interplay or anyone who had
anything to do with the creation of this game. This FAQ may be posted on any
site so long as NOTHING IS CHANGED and you EMAIL ME telling me that you are
posting it. You may not charge for, or in any way profit from this FAQ.
_______________________________________________________________________________

__________________
What's New in 8.4:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Edited the Mod information and gave it a new section to call home.
Reorganized somewhat, edited somewhat and added some stuff here and there.
Added TOB information to the kits section.

For a complete Version History, check out the Final Words Section at the end
of the FAQ.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Introduction
II. What's New in Baldur's Gate II
III. Throne of Bhaal Information
IV. Mod Information
V. Creating a Main Character (or a Party)
VI. Companions
VII. Gameplay Strategies and Tricks
VIII. General Monster Fighting Strategies
VIII.1 Golems
VIII.2 Demons
VIII.3 Undead
VIII.4 Dragons
VIII.5 Enemy Spellcasters
VIII.6 Beholders
VIII.7 Mind Flayers
VIII.8 Werewolves

Walkthrough

1. Chapter 1: Irenicus' Dungeon
1.1 Irenicus' Dungeon Level 2
2. Chapter 2: Waukeen's Promenade
2.1 The Slums
2.2 Between Areas
2.3 De'Arnise Hold
2.4 Windspear Hills
2.5 The Planar Sphere
2.6 The Graveyard
2.7 City Gate
2.8 The Bridge
2.9 Government District
2.10 Umar Hills
2.11 Temple Ruins
2.12 Temple District
2.13 The Sewers
2.14 The Docks
2.15 Trademeet
3. Chapter 3: The Guild War
3.1 Working for the Shadow Thieves
3.2 Working for Bodhi
4. Chapter 4: Brynnlaw
4.1 Spellhold
4.2 Maze beneath Spellhold
4.3 Escape from Spellhold
4.4 Sahuagin City
5. Chapter 5: The Underdark
5.1 Ust Natha (Drow City)
5.2 Beholder City
5.3 The Illithid Lair
5.4 Exit from the Underdark
6. Chapter 6: Back to Athkatla
6.1 Three New Areas
7. Chapter 7: Suldanessellar
7.1 The Nine Hells

X1. STRONGHOLD Walkthroughs
X2. The Limited Wish Adventure

Throne of Bhaal Walkthrough

1. Watcher's Keep
2. Grove of the Ancients
3. Saradush
4. Gromnir
5. Yaga Shura
6. Amkethran
6.1 Sendai
6.2 Abazigal
7. Balthazar
8. Throne of Bhaal

Frequently Asked Questions

Appendices

A. Complete Kit Descriptions
B. Charts & Analysis
} Thieving Money Charts
} Dual Wielding Analysis
C. Cheats
D. Trainers and Editors
E. Manual Corrections & Addendums
F. Bugs
G. Strange Things

Final Words....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. } } } } Introduction
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Baldur's Gate, your character faced the harsh light of reality. Pushed
violently out of your home after the death of your foster father, you had to
discover the truth of his killing, and your own past. What you discovered
was that you were the offspring of the deceased Lord of Murder, the dark god
Bhaal. He had foreseen his own imminent demise and so had spread his seed
across the land. You were one of those children. So too was the evil
Sarevok, the murderer of Gorion. He sought to become the new Lord of Murder,
and sought to start a war between Baldur's Gate and Amn. It would not matter
who won this war... so long as people died by the thousands. Fortunately for
the world you were there to stop Sarevok and end his schemes.

But the world doesn't stop for one heroic deed. Soon after your adventures
around Baldur's Gate a mysterious force captures your adventuring party.
Could this be another spawn of Bhaal? Or perhaps something worse...

Baldur's Gate II: The Shadows of Amn takes place just a few months after the
events of Baldur's Gate. You have been captured and placed in a cage. All
your equipment and money is gone. Your companions have been scattered. Who
is behind this? And more importantly... why?

There are two "bonus" CD's out there, one people got with the Collector's
Edition and another for Preordering (either from EBworld or from the
Interplay Store). These add new shops and items. You can also download
these files from http://www.sorcerers.net/index.shtml (you can also check out
the Frequently Asked Questions for more information)

Collector's Disc: Aurora's Emporium in the Adventurer's Mart

Sells all manner of Torment related items, such as Dak'kon's Zerth Blade
and Vhailor's Helm. Best yet, it has the almighty Robe of Vecna. Talk
to Deidre in the back of the Adventurer's Mart.

Preorder Disc: Joluv in the Copper Coronet

Sells all manner of Icewind Dale related items, such as Hrothgar's Axe
and the Defender of Easthaven.

You can just use the cheats to create the merchants (see the Cheats section
if you don't know how to do it):

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("wmart1")
CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("wmart2")

to make the two merchants appear in the current area. (from John Howard)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. } } } } What's New in Baldur's Gate II
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a list of what's new in Baldur's Gate II (as compared to BG):

- Familiars. Mages can cast the first level spell "Find Familiar" to get
themselves a little intelligent creature called a Familiar. Not only
do you get a permanent little scout/thief/monster, but you get a bonus
to your Mage's HP as well. If your Familiar has 24 HP, then you get +12
HP.

- Strongholds. Each class gets their own specific stronghold to call their
own. A fighter gets a castle, a bard gets a playhouse and a thief gets
a thieves' guild.

- New Playable Race: Half-Orc. Half-orcs get a bonus to their strength
and constitution and a penalty to their intelligence and charisma.

- New Playable Classes: Monk, Barbarian and Sorcerer.

Monk. The Monk is one of the more interesting new classes. They are
very skilled at fighting without weaponry, and as they go up in levels
their fists grow in power. At the 14th level they start gaining Magic
Resistance. They also have other special abilities, such as Lay on Hands
faster movement and some thief skills. The drawback? They can't wear
armor or use two-handed weaponry.

Barbarian. The Barbarian is a brute compared to the fighter. More
vicious but less refined. He gets more HP, can berserk and moves faster.
Drawbacks? Can't wear Full Plate or Plate Mail, and cannot gain more
than Specialized in Proficiencies.

Sorcerer. Normal mages have to first learn a spell, then memorize it,
then spend time to cast the spell. The Sorcerer does none of these.
They simply get a set number of spells per level and can cast a number
of spells. This works more like "mana" systems of other games.

- New sub-classes, called Kits. These represent different philosophies
within each discipline. For example, the Wizard Slayer (Fighter) won't
wear magic items, but gains a bonus magic resistance and can disrupt
magic spells permanently. For more information see the Kits section in
the Appendix.

- More thief skills, such as Set Trap, Detect Illusion and more.

- More spells, including Delayed Blast Fireball and Time Stop.

- Gem bags to hold gems and necklaces, Scroll cases to hold spells and
parchments and Bags of Holding to hold everything else.

- Bigger, fiercer monsters, including Dragons, Beholders and Liches.

- Better resolution. The game officially supports up to 800x600, but
unofficially it can go up much, much higher.

- Higher experience cap, set at 2.95 million experience points allowing
your character to become as gods. (not quite, but that sure sounds good
doesn't it?)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. } } } } Throne of Bhaal Information
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Throne of Bhaal is the official Expansion Pack to Baldur's Gate II: Shadows
of Amn. It has one area (Watcher's Keep) that can be reached in either game,
and many other areas that take place after the events in BG2. ToB can be
purchased in any store that sold BG2.

Once you enter the Expansion areas (with the exception of Watcher's Keep)
you cannot return to the original game areas.

What's New in Throne of Bhaal:
------------------------------

- TAB key will now highlight doors, containers and items for you. (use it
often!)

- Wild Mage kit. Just like a mage, but with one key difference, Wild Surges.
These are near unpredictable alterations of the magic. It might just make
you itchy (or your enemies itchy) or it could even change your gender. You
just never know.

- New areas.

- Completes the Baldur's Gate saga.

- Experience Cap set much higher at 8,000,000. This allows most characters
to get to level 40.

- Many new items, and more items that can be built from other items.

- More spells.

- You can now remove spells from your spellbook. This is intended to get rid
of unwanted spells when you can't learn any more.

Tip: If you have duplicate Spell Scrolls, learn the spell once, then
Erase it, then learn it again. This way you get the experience
twice!

- New super abilities for level 20+ characters. These abilities are
extremely strong and useful, such as Deathblow, Whirlwind attack and
Summon Planetar.

- Evil clerics can Turn Paladins along with Undead. (which adds an
interesting conflict when you have Viconia and Keldorn in the same party)

- Cloak of Mirroring no longer reflects spells back to their caster, merely
blocks the spells.

David Gaider (one of the senior designers of ToB) has released a few minor
additions to Throne of Bhaal, which you can find at Baldurdash:

http://www.baldurdash.org/ToB/TOBtweaksandcheats.html

They include new Bhaalspawn abilities, and tougher Demogorgon and Balthazar
battles.

Baldurdash: http://www.baldurdash.org/

The Wish Spell
--------------

The WISH Spell is much like its lesser brother, the Limited Wish, but a
whole lot more powerful. As such it is very tricky to use. The Djinn you
summon is pretty much out to get you, so having a good WISDOM is essential.
18 or more will get you the best responses, 9 or worse will get you some
pretty awful responses. However, which wishes you get is also partly random.
He then picks from a list of wishes that you can get (not all will be what
you want), and if you have really bad wisdom, you'll be picking from a list
of nothing but bad choices! Here is a list of all the wishes, sorted from
the really bad to the sorta awful to the surprisingly good:

'Improved Haste' on all enemies in the area.
Level Drain two levels from each party member.
Bring a 'Meteor Swarm' down upon the caster.
Temporarily remove half of the caster's HP.
Caster loses all memorized spells.
Party loses 10,000 gp.
Temporarily reduce the Strength of all party members to 3.
Temporarily reduce the Dexterity of all party members to 3.
Temporarily reduce the Constitution of all party members to 3.
Temporarily reduce the Wisdom of all party members to 3.
Temporarily reduce the Intelligence of all party members to 3.
Temporarily reduce the Charisma of all party members to 3.
Heal all enemies in the area.
Temporarily remove 15% of all party members' HPs.
Summon an extra hostile monster into the area.
Everyone in the area, both party members and enemies, become intoxicated.
'Breach' on everyone in the area, including the party.
Blow all people, including party members, away from the caster.
Heal everyone, party members and enemies included.
Temporarily set Strength to 18 for everyone in the area, including enemies.
'Miscast Magic' on everyone in the area, including party members.
'Magic Resistance' on everyone in the area, including enemies.
'Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting' on everyone in the area, including the party.
Incur bad luck on everyone in the area, including party members.
'Silence' on everyone in the area, including party members.
'Haste' everyone in the area, including enemies.
'Improved Haste' on all party members.
'Breach' on all enemies in the area.
'Restoration' on all party members.
Raise all party members' characteristics to 25 for 4 rounds.
'Resurrection' on all dead party members.
All party members gain the temporary ability 'Greater Deathblow'.
All party members gain the temporary ability 'Hardiness'.
Create a random wand in caster's inventory.
Create a random potion in the caster's inventory.
Make it as if the entire party has just rested a full night and
re-memorized all their spells.
Cast a double-length 'Time Stop' and 'Improved Alacrity' on the caster.

Upgraded Familiars:
-------------------

Familiars are upgraded when you complete the regular game by beating
Irenicus.

You can now "feed" the familiars to heal them. You can also ask them for
advice.

If you want to see the old BG2 familiar list, it is in the Gameplay
Strategies section below.

Alignment Familiar AC HP Abilities
--------------- ------------- -- -- ----------------------------------
Lawful Good Pseudo Dragon 0 48 35% magic resistance, renders
victims unconscious, casts Blur,
Ghost Armor, Detect Illusion, 2
attacks per round

Neutral Good Pseudo Dragon 0 48 (same as above)

Chaotic Good Fairy Dragon 0 24 45% magic res., casts Invisibility
10' Radius, Imp. Invisibility &
Mirror Image 1/day

Lawful Neutral Ferret -4 48 65% magic res., 95% Pickpocket,
60% Stealth, 60% Detect Traps

True Neutral Rabbit 1 48 85% Detect Traps, 60% Stealth,
65 magic res., 50% detect illusion
always haste

Chaotic Neutral Cat -4 48 Pickpocket, 99% Stealth,
65% magic res, 60% Find Traps.

Lawful Evil Imp -2 48 Polymorphs, 35% magic res., poison
attack, regenerates 1 HP/second

Neutral Evil Dust Mephit 3 48 Casts Glitterdust 2/day, 25% magic
res., Prismatic Spray, Stoneskin,
60% damage resistant, immune to
fire

Chaotic Evil Quasit -2 48 Casts Horror, 35% magic resist.,
immune to fire, cold and elec.,
regenerates 1 Hp/second, 3 attacks
per round, attack reduces target
DEX

Romances in Throne of Bhaal:
----------------------------

Yep, they all are continued, even if you ended them (such as Aerie saying at
the end that you should just be friends).

SPOILERS

Viconia } You can convince her to change her alignment (you simply have to
say "good" things, like killing is wrong, etc.)
Aerie } You can have a child with her
Anomen } Asks to marry you
Jaheira } n/a

Viconia's alignment switch: When she offers to sleep with you again, turn
her down because the "time isn't right", then
when she asks what you think of her, be very
very nice. When she asks you what it's like
having the blood of Bhaal in your veins, tell
her that you don't like the killing.

Between meeting her wraith-brother and the
destruction of Saradush (I told you there were
Spoilers in here), you need to have at least
ONE romance talk occur. If you skip this, you
can't get her to switch alignments.

When she sees the battle, tell her that you
don't like it. Then when she asks if you want
her to change, say yes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. } } } } Mod Information
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tired of always knowing how to do everything in the game? Want a new challenge?
Try a mod! All the significant Unofficial Add-On's (most of which are top-
notch) can be found here:

http://modlist.pocketplane.net

These are listed at the link above, but other good places for mods:

http://www.fwstudios.net/
http://www.gibberlings3.net/

Some of the Mods that I've tried:

Baldur's Gate Trilogy - Combines all the Baldur's Gate games into one
package. (The "third" game it refers to is Throne of Bhaal) Works really
well, although there are a few bugs. (Don't memorize any new spells
until you're sure that they work) It's really fun to play from Candlekeep
to the Throne of Bhaal in one game.

Banter Pack - Makes the NPCs more interesting.

Big Picture - combines several of the largest BG2 mods into one. Includes
The Darkest Day, Shadows Over Soubar, Never Ending Journey and Tortured
Souls. Combine this with BGT above for a really massive gaming experience.

Dark Side of the Sword Coast for BG-BGT - technically a BG1 mod, but played
in the BG2 engine through BGT.

Freedom's Reign / Reign of Virtue

Gibberlings3 Tweak Pack

Imoen Romance

One Pixel Productions - Redoes the artwork in the game to be more like BG1.
I liked going back to the original "paper doll" look from the first game.

Secret of Bone Hill (BGT)

Unfinished Business - puts several quests and things back into the game that
were dropped by Bioware.

If you need a walkthrough for the Unofficial Add-On, the Darkest Day, you can
get Suburban Jub's fine walkthrough here:

http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/index.htm

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. } } } } Creating a Main Character (or a Party)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The hardest decision in the game is also the first decision, and the one that
has the farthest reaching effects as well. What you decide here will change
everything and affect how easy your game is.

What Class Do You Play??

Such a simple question, but no easy answers. A lot of which class you want
to play has to do with your individual style as a player. If you like just
rushing into the thick of battle without planning, maybe a Barbarian is the
way to go. Meticulous planner? Think mage. Finesse fighter? Kensai or
Monk.

Trick: When you are rolling the "Attributes" for your character, if you
press CTRL-8 the game will set all your stats to 18 (and 18/00 for
STR). This ONLY works if you already have the Debug Mode enabled
(see the Cheats section below).

Tip: If you're going to import from BG1, and you, like me, reloaded your
BG1 game everytime you gained a level to get maximum hit points,
you might be dismayed to learn that BG2 will AVERAGE OUT YOUR
HIT POINTS. That's right, my level 8 Fighter got nerfed from 120
hit points to 81! The only way I found to get around this is to,
when selecting a kit for your imported character, select BACK
instead of a kit. You keep your hit points but lose the ability
to take a kit.

Favorite Kits:

Fighter -- } Kensai (great fighters, and when dualled to a mage become
extremely powerful, I've also heard good things about
Kensai/Thief combinations)
Mage -- } Conjurer (you lose some spells, but you can summon with the
best of them! This is more subjective than the others)
Druid -- } Shapeshifter (If you've played Cernd then you know that he
is one of the weakest HUMANS, but when he becomes a werewolf
he is very powerful)
Priest -- } Priest of Lathander (This is subjective, I just like the
Boon of Lathander spell)
Bard -- } Skald (this has a LOT of good effects, and only one bad effect
a low pickpocket score)
Thief -- } Swashbuckler (this guy is awesome, practically a fighter!)
Ranger -- } Archer (gives this guy a bow, and 5 proficiency in it and you
have the best sniper in the game)
Paladin -- } Inquisitor (used to be Cavalier, but I changed my mind. This
guy's major plus is his Dispel Magic ability, which he casts
at twice his level, plus with immunities to Hold and Charm)

Keep in mind that only the Protagonist (main character) can have a Familiar.
So if you aren't a Mage, and can't Dual to a Mage later, no one in your game
will have a Familiar.

Trick: When you dual your main character to the Mage Class, try this. Kick
everyone out of the party, then learn as many spells as you can.
You gain experience for each spell you learn. I was able to gain
MANY levels this way!

Dual Class Note: Can't get your character to dual class? You probably
don't have sufficient STATS for it. Dualling requires
your character have 15 of his current class's prime STAT
(i.e. STR for a Fighter) and 17 of your desired class's
prime STAT (i.e. INT for a Mage). See the Frequently
Asked Questions section for more details.

Here's the character I played through when I wrote the walkthrough:

Male --} To have the romance with Viconia
Half-Orc --} For the STR and CON bonuses
Barbarian -} A very powerful class, gets 2 extra HP per level (over what a
Fighter gets), can Rage, moves faster and at level 11 gains
various weapon resistances.
Lawful --} To get that high starting reputation.
Good
Dual Wield } Then I had him dual wield Katanas (the Celestial Fury is just
awesome) and Long Swords.

My second time through the game (when I wrote the walkthrough) I used this
party: (slight SPOILER)

Me -- Barbarian, as a Half-Orc to get me 19 STR and CON, then dual
wielded long swords and katanas. Very strong.
Jaheira -- Fighter / Druid, The best Druid in the game since she is the only
one who can Raise Dead (with Harper's Call).
Viconia -- Cleric, she is an awesome cleric (much better than Anomen) plus
she has natural magic resistance.
Edwin -- Conjurer, the only true mage in the game, also gains a bonus to
the number of spells he can cast. Not only gains the +1 spell
per level as a Conjurer, but gains another +2 spells per level
from his Amulet (which can't be removed).
Mazzy -- Fighter, Her bow ability is her best feature, but she also has
a number of extra powers (such as Courage) that I found useful.
Yoshimo -- Bounty Hunter, oh sure he isn't a long term solution, but that is
exactly where Imoen returns.

Here's a straight-good aligned power-party:

Main Character -- play as a Kensai/Mage
Valygar -- Stalker dual wielding katanas, can also backstab really well.
Keldorn -- The only Paladin in the game, thus the only person who can use
the Holy Avenger
Minsc -- The strongest character in SoA, fights well with the two handed
sword, or with two weapons.
Anomen -- Once you get past his bizarre personal issues, he's not that bad.
Yoshimo -- To be replaced later with Imoen (or use Jan if you prefer)

Charisma is your friend:
------------------------

So what does Charisma really get you? Well if you have a low charisma you
may not be able to get NPC's to join you, if you pass a quest, the treasure
may not be as good as it normally would be, (or there may be no treasure at
all!) and shops WILL charge you more. So don't skimp out on the charisma.

On the other hand, you only need ONE PERSON with good charisma, and it
needn't be your main character.

SPOILER: Plus, just outside of the first dungeon you find a ring that sets
anyone's Charisma to 18. You will find this ring by finish the
circus tent quest in the Promenade area.

After maxing my reputation, I had my leader (with a charisma of 18) wear some
charisma-enhancing items (nymph cloak, sword of the roses, helm of glory) to
boost his charisma up to 23 before he talks to shop owners, and got a
significant further discount from the increased charisma above 18. Useful
for all those expensive items from the bonus CD's. (from RCL)

Creating all Six Characters:
----------------------------

It is quite beneficial to play every game as a multiplayer (although it does
create a bit of a hassle). It gives you the benefit of being able to create
all 6 players in your party rather than depending on NPC's, and you can also
Export and Import characters in and out at any time. Potentially, then,
you could have a party of as many people as you want, just import and export
as needed.

To create a Multiplayer game just click the Multi Player button. At the next
menu click "Connect". Now you have to set the type of Multi Player (the top
button), using Serial is fairly easy (although it requires that you have some
Networking installed...) Now click "Create Game" (whenever you are playing by
yourself in the Multiplayer always use "Create Game", never use "Join
Game"!). Name the session to whatever you want, and enter in your own name.
Finally click "New Game". Now you can create as many characters as you want.
Then once they are all created, click the little Check icon by each created
characters, and then click the "Done" button.

If I created six characters, this would be that party:

Human Monk -- These guys are just awesome at the higher levels.
Human Kensai -- To be dualled to a Mage at level 9 or 12, can be very
powerful
Human Skald -- Bards are fun, but this one is great. Useful for the
great Bard Song. At high levels gives everyone +4 to
hit, damage and AC!
Elf Archer -- The best ranged weapons expert in existence! This guy is
ridiculously powerful. Alternatively start with a Human
Archer and dual at level 9 to a Cleric. That would mean
you would want to start out with 2 proficiency in Slings.
This way you get both Druid and Cleric spells at once.
Human Swashbuckler -- A thief with great offensive abilities.
Human Sorcerer -- Great magical abilities, don't have to memorize or
learn spells.

Or I might replace the Monk with a Half-Orc Barbarian (or Kensai) -- A
hit point powerhouse.

But naturally in Baldur's Gate II, I prefer to have most of my party consist
of the pre-made NPC's that you find in the game. They're just more
interesting to me.

Warning: I don't recommend creating all SIX characters in the game. You
will miss out on character specific quests (and there are a lot of
these early in the game) as well as the fun interactions these
characters have with each other. At most I would create 5
characters, then bring in an NPC, do their quests, then go on to
the next NPC.

Trick: To play with your own characters, but avoid the hassles of
Multiplayer, simply copy the saved game out of the \MPSAVE\ directory
and into the \SAVE\ directory. You can then play with your own
party in the normal single player mode. (Grack)

Thoughts on Kensai/Mages and other Combinations: (from RCL)
------------------------------------------------

While I can imagine how high level Kensais can be killing machines, I do not
believe they are worth it if you dual them out at level 9. At that time,
compared to normal fighters they only have +3 to hit and +3 damage (plus 3
uses of the Kai ability and -2 speed factors) - which is, in other words,
about an additional 15%-20% bonus depending on your stats, skills and
weapons. However, this is at the expense of not being able to use missile
weapons and more importantly, not being able to use bracers, gauntlets,
helmets, shields and armors.

Even if you, for example, use the shield amulet to make up for the horrible
AC, you won't be able to utilize other abilities offered by the equipment
(such as super fire protection by wearing the whole set of dragon
helm/shield/armor; increased charisma with the Helm of Glory;
missile/beholder ray protection from the reflection/fortress/Balduran's
shields, etc.). After you dual the Kensai to a mage, the inability to use
bracers and missile weapons can make him a liability to the group for a long
while until he regains his Kensai abilities.

A Berserker warrior will be better mage-dualling material. First of all, he
is almost equivalent with a level-9 Kensai in melee abilities with his +2
Thac0/ +2 damage during his rage. In addition, during his rage he will gain
15 hp and have very important immunities (which alone IMO makes up for the
Kai ability); he can use ranged weapons if you want, and he has zero
limitation to his equipment - even if you don't feel like enabling/disabling
your magic casting abilities with heavy armors all the time, Bracers AC3 can
help a lot. Personally, I will take all these advantages and additional
flexibility over the Kai ability and -2 speed factors any day.

Currently I have my Berserker/mage dual wield the Celestial Fury and
Dak'kon's Zerth Blade, wearing the Bracer AC3. I used the editor just to
change his appearance to a mage, and wear the traveler's robe just for the
looks. Looks great (especially when he attacks), and is probably the best
member in my team.

Editor: http://www.mud-master.com/shadowkeeper/

Other People's Party Strategies:
--------------------------------

If Geoff Ulreich created all 6 characters, this is how it would look:

Paladin - Inquisitor (can't dual or would start as fighter for max weapon
prof.) Definitely the only worthwhile paladin kit, immunity to
hold and charm are PRICELESS, as is true seeing, and paladins are
typically worthless as spellcasters, healers and undead turners
next to clerics anyway (hence his disadvantages aren't really).
Spec. in two handed sword, style, and longbow or crossbow (or
both). He's a madman with the Avenger (a DMs worst nightmare).

Fighter - to be dualled to a Priest at 9th level. Grand Mastery in
Warhammer for the Crom Faeyr, the rest in sling (Priests can use
it). Invaluable for healing, turning, summoning fodder, and
dispelling.

Monk - (can't dual, wouldn't anyway) This class is even more unbalanced
than in the first edition AD&D rules, truly heinous by 15th
level, a dervish of destruction at 20th.

Thief - Bounty Hunter to be dualled to Mage (can't dual to specialist or
I would do Conjurer - Divination (their opp. sphere) spells suck)
at 11th, when his special traps have the Hold ability) - also
allows him to hit max level in mage. Give him longswords, two
wpn style (or one if you're gonna use a bow a lot), short bow
(and/or crossbow for the light crossbow of speed). This will
allow you to use most of the good long swords in the game. Get
set snares, F/R traps, and open locks to 100, 100, & 95
respectively, ignore the rest).

Bard - Skald (can't dual or would start as a fighter) Basically for his
kick-ass song, but makes a nice 3rd mage as well. Give him
longsword, 2 handed sword, 2 weapon style, 2 handed sword (for
the vorpal). Nice for Lore skill (saves hassle), cast Friends
before shopping.

Sorcerer - (can't dual or would start as a fighter) A VERY powerful mage.

All the characters should have 18/00 (fighters) or 18 strengths, 18 dexs,
16 cons (18 for the fighter and paladin). Mages get 18 intelligence (incl
bard and bounty), and one of them needs an 18 (or close) wis for limited
wishes. Priest needs 18 wis as well, and paladin and bard should be 18
charisma (save that ring slot for something better). Only took me 2 hrs to
get 6 characters with the above stats. I made them all Lawful or Neutral
Good to allow 20 rep. Have the Sorc. as your main character for the find
familiar spell (use a scroll), this will net a psuedodragon (the best
familiar). This party is a bit slow until the fighter duals to cleric
(lack of healing), but this doesn't take long at all, and soon after it is
unstoppable. Also, Archers are WAY overrated.

By the by, my first character (single player) was a kensai as well, but
used two longswords. Foregoing a second sword for a measly AC bonus is
silly, he was AC -6 by the end (using the shield amulet, which has more
than enough charges to carry you through the end of the game. Also, not
much lived long enough to swing more than once at him; he splattered
creatures faster than Keldorn and Jahiera combined. That's 9 (NINE)
attacks per round if improved hasted and using the dancing sword, 8 if you
think the sword doesn't count :), 4 normally (still obscene). The best
defense is, well, you get the picture...I was going to dual him to mage,
but was having far too much fun with him as it was, and already had 3 mages
by that point.

My sorcerer spell picks:

I have seen many people on the BBSs asking what spells their sorcerers
should learn, especially at the higher levels, and I have also seen some
truly awful replies. That said, here are my picks.

1st: -magic missile*
-identify (even with a bard, no other great picks)
-shield
2 others ( I did protection from petrification and charm person)

Editor's Note: I would take Chromatic Orb here. It has some awesome
powers and grows in strength as your sorcerer levels
up.

2nd: -melf's acid arrow
-mirror image
-knock(*)
-resist fear* (actually an area effect, contrary to what it says in the
manual)
-horror/web/stinking cloud (pick one - I chose horror since it allows you
to take enemies out of action without affecting your party)

3rd: -fireball* __
-dispel magic ]__*
-remove magic__]
-haste

4th: -ice storm
-minor sequencer*
-stone skin*
-minor globe of invulnerability

5th: -breach**********
-chaos*
-cloudkill*
-lower resistance

The above are not set in stone, but really are the best picks for a well
rounded sorcerer, to be used for heavy artillery, fighting enhancement,
and dispelling (with some defense set aside, mainly for the contingency
spells). The offense is balanced for single target and area attack
spells; the area attacks are balanced between damage-dealing and
disabling (the latter of which won't hurt your party, good for in-close
fighting. For the last three levels, I will list a small group of
possibilities, with the first 3 (6th), 3 (7th), and 2 (8th) spells listed
being the ones I chose. I found summoning spells to be fairly useless
later in the game, especially against mages (death fog and death spell),
with the possible exceptions of the nishruu and hakeashar.

6th: -contingency*
-improved haste
-pierce magic*
-(chain lightning)
-(death fog)
-(summon nishruu)

7th: -delayed blast fireball
-mass invisibility*
-spell sequencer*
-(limited wish (depending on your Wis))
-(ruby ray of reversal)
-(summon hakeashar)
-(khelben's warding whip)(great spell, but...no room:))

8th: -incendiary cloud
-spell trigger (I actually chose pierce shield, now regretting it)
-(pierce shield)
-(simulacrum)

Again, these are not set in stone; they are just the spells I found my
mages using over and over again the first time I played). The 2nd level
knock is essential, by the way, if you use the party I suggested (monk or
cleric detects traps, sorc knocks to unlock, paladin triggers traps until
your dualled thief/mage hits 750,000 exp and gets his thief skills back).
I marked with an * the spells I thought absolutely necessary.

Brian Camley has a spell recommendation:

I'd also like to add a suggestion for Sorcerer spell picks - I used
"protection from magical energy" - with this spell, I gave 100% protection
from magic energy to all my characters, making the first battle with
Irenicus a breeze... yes, it isn't as good as the scrolls of protection
from magic, but you can cast spells, while being protected from a lot of
damage that's coming your way.

Max Chen has some spell picks of his own:

1. Identify is a waste to learn cause you can use a scroll, pay a shop
or get identify glasses to do it for you and if your lore is high
enough than you won't need any of those.

I just stick with magic missile and chromatic orb(At lvl 10 it has
possibility turn victim into stone and at lvl 12 instantly kill victim)

2. Lvl 2 Blur and Vocalize (Must have cause once silence your mage is
useless)

3 Lvl 3 Lighting Bolt, bounce it off walls a couple time or reflect
lighting protection and you will see dead body every where. Good for
close combat. There is also another reason, coming up.

4. Greater Malison, no save throw and cause opponents under the influence
of this spell make all saving throws at a penalty of -4. Combine this
with lvl 5 lower resistance.

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere can be use both as offensive and defensive.
Offensive is to take 1 enemy out and Defensive protect your weak or
near death party member from getting kill.(Not that major but somewhat
useful)

Wizard eye is a very good spell for lvl 4. Heck it's better than all
other summon spell. Wizard eye can tank like no other, as long you get
the monster to attack it. As far I can tell wizard eye is unkillable.
Tried killing it myself and send it after lich and dragon, even with
cheat instant kill. Plus it is immune to most spell and unsummon
spells, I think only dispel works. Also it is good to explore with
wizard eye. HEH oh yeah demilich tried to imprison wizard eye many
times but fail miserably.

Editor's Note: ToB eliminates most of the Wizard Eye strategies
listed above. Now they die quite easily.

5. Oracle. 60' instead of 20'(book misprint?) Get rid of those invis
monster.

6. Death fog instantly kill all summoned creature, regardless of hit dice
or immunities(Haven't seen much computer summon monster) but hey they
sure use it on my summon creatures.

If P.K. created 6 characters, this is how he would do it:

Cleric/Ranger Half/Elf (I love those too)
Fighter Human (Dualled to Cleric at level 9)
Fighter Human (Dualled to Druid at level 9)
Fighter Human (Dualled to mage at level 10)
Fighter Human (Dualled to mage at level 9)
Thief Human (Dualled to mage at level 12)

This team is really cool, plenty of hit points for everybody, weapon
grandmastery for most of the characters and everyone of the team is a
spellcaster! (This is especially useful in BG2, since there are A LOT of
spells and one gains XP when learning them)

The (minor) drawbacks of this team is its (relative) weakness in the
transition period but if you look closer you will see that you will always
have at least 3 strong melee fighters in the team, and you can always live
without a trap disarming thief (especially in BG2) since you can do the
quests that do not imply dungeon crawling meanwhile.

If jayhc created all 6, he would do this:

I see that you have other people's full-party strategies on your FAQ, so I
thought - hey, I may as well send in my own. It may not have as much
damage-causing potential at the end of the game as, say, a bunch of
fighters dualled to mages and clerics, but I would bet that it can hold its
own just the same – and would be more easily pulled off, to boot.

1) Dwarfish Berserker with grand mastery in axes. He should have a
seventeen dexterity and a nineteen constitution; a high strength is
preferable, too, but not necessary for the sheer tanking power. Give
him a fortress shield, dexterity gauntlets, some variant of full plate,
a spell-bouncing cloak, a ring of regeneration … he could well have –11
or –12 ac by a fairly reasonable level, and have amazing saving throws
and hit points to go along (at level nineteen, his median amount of hp –
with a nineteen constitution – would near 125; and most people would
take steps to be certain that it's at least somewhat more than that).
Heh. He'll just sit there and soak up blows. For extra fun, let him
don that shape-changing cloak found in the sewers – and turn into a
troll for a moment or two when he seems near the brink of death.

2) Half-orc Kensai. I would either give him grand mastery in two-handed
sword, and specialization in two-handed weapon style; or grand mastery
in long sword, and mastery in two-weapon style. He would get an extra
attack per round with the latter, but the former would give him extra
damage and double the chance of scoring a critical hit – and a half-orc
with a nineteen strength and grand mastery in two-handed sword who
scores a critical hit with, say, Lilarcor – ouch.

The Berserker could soak up damage and lead enemies away, while the Kensai
demolished everything in sight.

3) An elven Stalker with specialization in long bow and long sword, and
mastery in two-weapon fighting. If possible, give him a nineteen
dexterity: this increases his ability to hide in the shadows by a
considerable amount; and that is crucial to any strategy involving him.
At level twelve he gains the ability to haste himself – so he can haste
up, hide in the shadows, and backstab any annoyingly difficult enemies
who don't have too many friends around. With a girdle of strength and a
successful backstab at level nine or ten, he does at least forty-five or
so damage - keep him perpetually hidden for extra backstabbing fun. His
main drawback – for which he is constantly being knocked - is a lack of
metallic armor, but plenty of magical leather-class protection is
available during the course of the game. His nineteen dexterity makes
him quite an arrow slinger, too.

4) A half-elven Ranger/Cleric, whose physical attributes I shall leave
open to suggestion. My choice of this no doubt explains itself: he has
access to both ranger and cleric spells; he offers a decent fighting
ability, in a pinch; he can hide in the shadows to avoid any unnecessary
conflict until he wants to reveal himself (so as to heal team-members
and not be killed himself beforehand). Add to this holy power, iron
skin, negative plane protection, draw upon holy might, and a disruptor
mace – you've got yourself an undead-killing machine.

A human ranger could dual to cleric if you don't want to end the game at
13/14. A Ranger dualled at nine, could still reach twenty in Cleric.

5) A gnome Illusionist/Thief. There is never any need, in BG2, to have a
straight thief: this alternative gives you hefty magical power in
addition to more than enough ability to perform necessary thieving tasks
(finding and disarming traps, and unlocking doors and chests). A thief
hidden in the shadows can't actively detect traps; but an invisible
thief can, and this power makes him ever so much more valuable than a
meandering normal thief.

6) A human Sorcerer, who can launch chromatic orb and magic missile all day
long. Give him breach and greater malison - and enemies are yours to
try practically any magical strategy you'd like.

You could replace the stalker with an inquisitor, to make mage-killing even
easier; or a cavalier, to have effective leadership and ridiculous
immunities. You could also try an archer, here – I've not tested the kit
myself; but I'm told it's ridiculously powerful, at any given level.

A monk would be nice, but is a veritable liability until level fifteen or
so.

Throne of Bhaal Notes: (from Duncan Clay)
----------------------

The High-Level Class Abilities added in Throne of Bhaal gives many new
possibilities to character creation.

For example the Rogue High-Level Class Ability "Use Any Item" allows them
to use any weapon and shield, wear any armor and helmet, use wands and
cast spells from scrolls. But it goes beyond that, a dual class
Kensai/Thief can now wear Full Plate Armor, have a familiar and wield the
Paladin sword "Carsomyr".

Since THAC0 progression stops at level 22, there isn't much difference
between a Level 22 Fighter with THAC0 0 and a Level 40 Fighter with THAC0
0. A Level 40 Thief would have a THAC0 of 10 the same as a Level 22
Thief. This suggests Dual and Multiclass characters are the way to go.

Here are some outstanding high-level character abilities
Level 39 Kensai - THAC0 & Damage Bonus = 13 (Melee Weapons)
Level 33 Archer - THAC0 & Damage Bonus = 10 (Missile Weapons)
Level 40 Wizard Slayer - Magic Resistance = 84
Level 40 Monk - Base Armor Class = -6 (-19 vs. Missiles)
Level 40 Monk - Lay Hands heals 80 hit points
Level 40 Swashbuckler - Armor Class Bonus = 9
Level 40 Swashbuckler - THAC0 & Damage Bonus = 8
Level 21 Assassin - Backstab Multiplier = x7
Level 25 Bard - base Lore ability = 250

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. } } } } Companions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some companions don't like each other. For example, Minsc and Edwin will
eventually come to blows. Anomen (if he fails his test) will try to hurt
Aerie.

Proficiencies Note: When I list the proficiencies the character has, that
is not a recommendation as to what I think they should
have, those are the profs the character starts with.
These are listed by the level you get the character at.

If you want to decide on your own proficiencies, it is
always better to get that character as soon as possible.

Irenicus' Dungeon Characters:

S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
- Imoen 9 18 16 17 11 16 Human Thief/Mage Neutral Good

Imoen is your old childhood friend from Candlekeep. In the first game
she was a Thief, and now she has dual classed to become a Mage.

SPOILER: Don't let Imoen memorize any spells as she won't be with your
party for much longer.

Profs: [*] Dagger, Dart, Quarterstaff, Shortbow

Grade: B+ She is the third best thief you can get in the game and the
second best mage. This averages out well, especially since
this game doesn't require that much out of a thief. I list
her as "third best thief" because she can't level up in it
anymore.

- Minsc 18/93 16 16 8 6 9 Human Ranger Chaotic Good

Minsc is a little loopier than last you saw him. This may be due to the
death of Dynaheir -- whom he was sworn to protect -- but he seems to
rely far too much on Boo, his pet hamster. Minsc will adopt Aerie as
his witch if they are in the party at the same time. Then when she is
injured or killed, Minsc has some... reactions.

If kicked out: You can find Minsc again in the Copper Coronet

Profs: Lvl 7 - [**] Long Bow, Mace, Two Handed Sword, Two Handed Style
Lvl 9 - [*] Axe
[**] Long Bow, Mace, Two Handed Sword, Two Handed Style
Lvl 12 - [**] Axe, Long Bow, Mace, Two Handed Sword, 2 Hand Style

Grade: A- Minsc is one of the best investments you can have in the
game. He is the strongest of the NPC's and has decent
abilities as well. Plus he soon begins learning Priest
spells which further his power.

- Jaheira 15 17 17 10 14 15 Half-Elf Fighter/Druid True Neutral

Jaheira has some problems with authority, which in this case would be
you. She believes that she should be leader. She is also a member of
the Harper's, a "do-gooder" organization that also claims Elminster as a
member.

If kicked out: You can find Jaheira in the southwest of the Docks
district, near the Harper's secret base.

Profs: [*] Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Sling, Sword & Shield Style
[**] Club

Grade: B A good solid performer, but nothing to write home about.
There are better Priests out there, and better Fighters out
there as well. The best reason to keep her is her Druid
abilities as she is the best druid for some time. At the
moment you really have no choice but to take her.

- Yoshimo 17 18 16 13 10 14 Human Bounty Hunter True Neutral

Yoshimo, feared by all, somehow managed to get himself captured and
thrown into this dungeon with the rest of you. Why Irenicus would be
interested in him is beyond me.

If kicked out: You can find Yoshimo in the Copper Coronet.

Profs: Lvl 7 - [*] Dagger, Katana, Shortbow, Single Weapon Style
Lvl 12 - [*] Dagger, Dart, Katana, Shortbow, Single Weapon Style

Grade: B+ There are several reasons to like Yoshimo: First he is the
best thief in the game (he is the ONLY pure thief class and
has a good Dex score as well) and second he can Dual Class
to a Fighter later. If only he could dual to a mage as
well...

Athkatla Characters:
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
- Aerie 10 17 9 16 16 14 Elf Cleric/Mage Lawful Good

Aerie is a winged elf. Well former winged elf as her wings were removed
some time ago. She had been a slave before meeting up with Quayle and
joining the circus.

Found at: Waukeen Promenade Circus

Profs: Lvl 6 - [*] Mace, Quarterstaff, Sling
Lvl 7 - [*] Club, Mace, Quarterstaff, Sling

Grade: C+ A cleric/mage combines all magics into one (not Druid spells,
but nobody's perfect), which is an incredible bonus. Except
that she has rather weak stats. She doesn't excel anywhere,
no single one stat stands out. As such she isn't worth
keeping around for very long.

- Anomen 18/52 10 16 10 12 13 Human Fighter/Cleric Lawful Neutral

Anomen may not be a Paladin but he is deeply involved with the Order of
the Radiant Heart. He believes in Law over all other concerns, making
him neither good nor evil.

Found at: Copper Coronet (Slums)

Profs: Lvl 6 - [*] Warhammer, Sword & Shield Style
[**] Mace, Sling
Lvl 10 - [*] Quarterstaff, Warhammer, Sword & Shield Style
[**] Mace, Sling

Grade: C+ At the point in the game when you run across this guy is just
won't fit into your party. As you can see by his wisdom
score he doesn't make for a good Cleric, and with his DEX
score, he doesn't make that great a Fighter either.

Anomen later gets a chance to "upgrade", when he can either
join the Knights or fail. If he joins he gains a +4 to his
Wisdom score, which improves him as a Cleric. If he fails,
he becomes emotionally unstable and may attack other party
members. (after a conversation, of course)

Upgrade: B-

- Edwin 10 10 16 18 10 10 Human Mage Lawful Evil

Edwin was with you on your last adventures, and he and Minsc don't like
each other in the least. Edwin had wanted to kill Minsc's witch,
Dynaheir, and now that she is dead, Edwin won't leave Minsc alone about
it.

Edwin gets the most spells of any mage, +3 for every level (1 from his
Conjurer bonus, and 2 from his non-removable amulet).

Found at: Shadow Thieves Guild (Docks, talk to Renal Bloodscalp)

Profs: Lvl 7 - [*] Dagger, Quarterstaff
Lvl 12 - [*] Dagger, Quarterstaff, Sling

Grade: B+ What his stats don't tell you is that Edwin gets bonus spells
making him the best mage in the game. The downside is that
he is weak as a kitten and has so very little HP.

- Haer'Dalis 17 17 9 15 13 16 Tiefling Blade Chaotic Neutral

Haer'Dalis is not from around here. In fact he isn't even from this
plane of existence! He is a Tiefling, born with part demon blood. It
gives him an odd appearance and an even stranger attitude about life.

Found at: Sewers (follow the Raelis Quest from the Five Flagons)
If kicked out: Haer'Dalis will go to the main floor of the Five Flagons.

Profs: Lvl 10 - [*] Dagger, Dart
[**] Short Sword, Two Weapon Style
Lvl 13 - [*] Dagger, Dart, Longsword
[**] Short Sword, Two Weapon Style
Lvl 15 - [*] Dagger, Dart
[**] Longsword, Short Sword, Two Weapon Style

Grade: D+ The ONLY Bard in the game, and he happens to be lacking the
one thing that makes Bards extra special, their Lore ability.
That said, he makes a great warrior, for a Bard. But if I
wanted a warrior, I'd take a warrior

- Jan 9 17 15 16 14 10 Gnome Thief/Mage Chaotic Neutral

Jan loves turnips. Almost literally! And like most gnomes he is very
eccentric, and loves to ramble on with stories that never get to the
points. He wants to steal Boo from Minsc, and if he ever succeeded, one
would imagine he wouldn't live long after that.

Found at: Government District (near the Government offices)

Profs: [*] Crossbow, Dagger, Quarterstaff, Shortsword

Grade: B+ My favorite Thief/Illusionist in the game! The only Thief/
Illusionist in the game! Unlike the other thief/mages he is
a multi-class rather than a dual class, which is both a good
and a bad thing. He keeps improving his thief skills, but
gains levels slower. Plus he can make his own ammunition for
his crossbow. These "flashers" work like Skull Traps and
will stun enemies, but not party members.

- Keldorn 17 9 17 12 16 18 Human Paladin Lawful Good

Keldorn is a dedicated man. So dedicated that he goes months without
seeing his family. This will lead to conflict, and may cause Keldorn to
leave your party forever.

Found at: Temple District Sewers (MUST start the Unseeing Eye quest
first)

Profs: Lvl 8 - [**] Crossbow, Longsword, Two Handed Sword
Lvl 9 - [*] Bastard Sword
[**] Crossbow, Longsword, Two Handed Sword
Lvl 12 - [**] Bastard Sword, Crossbow, Longsword, Two Handed
Sword

Grade: B+ The only Paladin in the game. If you want a Paladin this is
the way to go. He starts out with decent armor and an
interesting sword (if he is hit, it deals 5 damage to what
hit him). As an Inquisitor gets immunity to Charm and Hold,
which is very useful, and his Dispel Magic is very powerful.

- Korgan 18/77 15 19 12 9 7 Dwarf Battlerager Chaotic Evil

Although his alignment is listed as Chaotic Evil, Korgan is more Neutral
Evil than anything (mercenary type that he is). Korgan is always on the
lookout to make a buck, no matter the cost (of lives).

Found at: Copper Coronet (Slums)
If kicked out: Will be at the Copper Coronet, but requires a Bribe to
rejoin you.

Profs: Lvl 8 - [*] Warhammer
[*****] Axe
Lvl 9 - [**] Warhammer
[*****] Axe
Lvl 12 - [***] Warhammer
[*****] Axe

Grade: A- The best fighter-type in the game. Good Strength, good
Constitution and adequate Dexterity. And unlike Minsc (the
other "strong" character), Korgan can be a Grand Master in
a weapon making him very lethal indeed. Would be an "A"
except that he is Evil, which makes it hard to keep him in a
Good aligned party.

- Nalia 14 18 16 17 9 13 Human Thief/Mage Chaotic Good

Raised as a Noble, Nalia fancies herself as a "compassionate" noble, out
there working for the good of the common man. She is incredibly naive
about the world to the point of almost being stupid. (not quite, though)

Found at: Copper Coronet (Slums)
If she leaves: If you accept her quest, but don't do it right away, she
will leave on her own. You will then find her near the
De'Arnise Hold in a wooden palisade (SW of the Hold).

Profs: Lvl 8 - [*] Dagger, Quarterstaff, Shortbow, Shortsword
Lvl 13 - [*] Dagger, Dart, Quarterstaff, Shortbow, Shortsword

Grade: C+ Nalia has very puny thief skills (she dualled over to Mage at
level 4), making her primarily a Mage with SOME thief skills
thrown in for good measure. However, as a Mage she doesn't
have 18 INT (which helps) and doesn't gain Edwin's spell
bonuses.

- Viconia 10 19 8 16 18 14 Drow Elf Cleric Neutral Evil

Viconia DeVir was forced out of the Underdark and has been living as an
exile on the surface ever since. She journeyed with you in your earlier
adventures.

Fount at: Government District (near the prison)
If kicked out: Viconia goes to the Graveyard

Profs: [*] Mace, Sling, Warhammer

Grade: B+ Personally I think she is the best Cleric in the game. Start
with a great Dexterity and Wisdom and you have a great
character. Give her the Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (or a
similar Strength enhancing item) and she moves up to an A
grade. Also, the Girdle of Fortitude can be used to improve
her lowly constitution for 8 hours a day. (The Gauntlets are
part of the Planar Sphere quest, and the Girdle can be found
in the Unseeing Eye quest)

Elsewhere:

Cernd 13 9 13 12 18 13 Human Shapeshifter True Neutral

Cernd was investigating the strange occurrences around Trademeet when he
was brought in by the locals.

Found at: Trademeet (talk to the Mayor)

Profs: Lvl 10 - [*] Dagger, Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Sling
Lvl 13 - [*] Dagger, Quarterstaff, Scimitar, Sling, Single Weapon

Grade: C+ At first glance you might think Cernd is the worst character
in existence. Though not entirely true, it does have some
merit. He is a good Druid due to his high Wisdom. The
rest of his stats are abysmal, HOWEVER when he turns into a
Werewolf, his stats LEAP upwards to the point of superhuman
strength, dexterity and constitution.

Mazzy 15 18 16 10 13 14 Halfling Fighter Lawful Good

Mazzy is not your typical halfling. For starters, she's not a thief of
any sort. Plus she's lawful good, heroic and no-nonsense. Very atypical
for halflings.

Found at: Temple Ruins (follow the Umar Hills quest from Delon at the
Government District)
If kicked out: Mazzy will return home to Trademeet

Profs: Lvl 8 - [*] Shortsword
[*****] Shortbow
Lvl 9 - [***] Shortsword
[*****] Shortbow
Lvl 12 - [****] Shortsword
[*****] Shortbow

Grade: B- A good Halfling fighter, but... in all actuality she is
closer to a Halfling Paladin. She has several special
abilities such as Lay on Hands and Haste.

Valygar 17 18 16 10 14 10 Human Stalker Neutral Good

Valygar's family has long lived in the shadow of magic. His own mother
went mad with the power of it and was destroyed. Valygar escaped this
fate by becoming a Ranger, albeit the only Ranger with mage spells
(Stalker).

Found at: Valygar's Cabin (Umar Hills, NE of the town)

Profs: Lvl 8 - [**] Katana, Longbow, Spear, Two Weapon Style
Lvl 9 - [*] Dagger
[**] Katana, Longbow, Spear, Two Weapon Style
Lvl 12 - [**] Dagger, Katana, Longbow, Spear, Two Weapon Style

Grade: A- I would have preferred that Valygar had been an Elven Archer,
but this is almost as good. Valygar comes with several
magical items, such as his family Armor, that makes up for
his being a mere Stalker. Don't get me wrong, Stalkers are
neat, but to get the most out of them, you need to really
hide in shadows and backstab a lot.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII. } } } } General Gameplay Strategies
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Increase the Brightness Setting:
--------------------------------

The "normal" brightness setting is so dark that at times you can't see things
that should be quite obvious. So go into the Graphics options and move up
the Brightness and Contrast settings!

Save a Lot:
-----------

The most important strategy in the game: Save often!

There are 3 times when you should definitely save the game. When you win a
battle, before you go to sleep, and everywhere else. You never know when you
will go to a new area, have your best warrior charmed, and have half your
party killed. So save often. Also don't just save over the same slot over
and over, use at least 10 slots. This also means you should probably avoid
the Quick Save. Well... not avoid, just don't use it exclusively.

What I would do is to create an "Archive Save" whenever you enter a new major
area. So when you get to the beginning of a new area save it as "Starting
out in..." and so forth.

Start with All your Old Items: (from Dranyth)
------------------------------

When importing a character from BG, or even re-importing a character from BG2
to go through again, you can retain your character's equipment in the
beginning of the game (I imagine this would work in multiplayer as well as
single player, but I've only tried it in single player). First, give your
character all the great stuff you want to start with and then Export him to a
character file, then start BG2 and start a single player game, importing your
freshly exported character with all his goodies as your new character. Then
when you finish your character creation it begins loading the first area, as
soon as the loading screen completes but before it actually starts the game,
hit the Spacebar once, now when the game starts you should be on a black
screen and paused.

If the game isn't paused, you'll have to start over after the whole in-game
sequence is over, but if the game is paused you should have your sidebars up
and everything (if it's a completely black screen you'll need to hit H to
reveal the hidden sidebars), and you can go into your character's inventory.

Immediately put all of your character's stuff on the ground, then exit his
inventory and unpause the game, that first cry you give is where you lose
everything that is on your character. Now, after the sequence is over and
you're finished talking with Imoen (when you first have control over
yourself), go back into your inventory and you'll see that all of your stuff
is on the ground right where you left it, actually sitting on the floor of
your cage. Take your advanced equipment and go forth to kick evil butt!
(hey, if Minsc can hide Boo...)

Editor's Note: Another way to do this would be to start a new Multiplayer
Game with a new character. As soon as the game starts, then
delete this character and import your old one.

Magic Items and the Monsters who Require that you Have One to even Hit Them
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moderate SPOILERS

At some point in the game, you'll get the "weapon ineffective" message.
This usually means that you need a MORE magical weapon than the one you are
using in order to hit that monster. For example, Iron Golems require that
you hit them with a +3 weapon or better. Kangaxx the Lich requires +3
weapons or better, but his Demi-Lich form takes a +4 or better to hit.

Generally you can tell what "enchantment" a weapon is by looking at its
bonus to damage or THAC0. If a sword grants +5 to THAC0, it is probably
considered a +5 weapon.

Some weapons, however, have an "enchantment" far beyond their bonuses. Here
is a small list of weapons that do more than advertised:

Staff of the Magi, +1 THAC0, hits as a +5
Melf's Minute Meteors, hit as a +5 (and ignore magic resistance)
Mace of Disruption +1, hit as a +4
Mace of Disruption +2, hit as a +5
Daystar +2/+4 vs. Undead, hits as a +2 (boo!)
Flametongue +1, hits as a +4
Hammer +1/+4 vs. Giants, hits as a +4

Familiars:
----------

Alignment Familiar AC HP Abilities
--------------- ------------- -- -- ----------------------------------
Lawful Good Pseudo Dragon -2 24 50% magic resistance, renders
victims unconscious, casts Blur

Neutral Good Pseudo Dragon -2 24 (same as above)

Chaotic Good Fairy Dragon 4 24 32% magic res., casts Invisibility
10' Radius & Mirror Image 1/day

Lawful Neutral Ferret 0 24 50% magic res., 75% Pickpocket,
40% Stealth, 20% Detect Traps

True Neutral Rabbit -4 16 50% Detect Traps, 30% Stealth,
75% resistance to fire, cold, elec

Chaotic Neutral Cat 0 24 20% Pickpocket, 99% Stealth,
50% magic res.

Lawful Evil Imp 2 18 Polymorphs, 25% magic res.

Neutral Evil Dust Mephit 6 24 Casts Glitterdust 2/day, 10% magic
res.

Chaotic Evil Quasit 2 24 Casts Horror, 25% magic resist.

Note: To get items that were pickpocketed by a Familiar, talk to the
Familiar and ask for any items they have.

Also, familiars get upgraded in Throne of Bhaal, see that section
above for more information.

Familiars are great. Sure, only the Main Character can have a familiar
(which means that if your Main Character can't cast Magic, you won't get one)
and sure if they die then you permanently lose one point of Constitution.
But Familiars make the best spies. They move faster than anyone else. Cast
invisibility on a Familiar and you can scout out an entire area. (too bad
they can't check for traps)

The best feature of Familiars? They add HP to their mages! Say you summon
a 24 HP Pseudodragon (size-wise think of that little dragon Eddie Murphy
played in "Mulan"). Then your mage gets a bonus of half that dragon's HP
added to himself, or a bonus of +12 HP.

Familiars are NOT fighters. Never use them as such. At best they have
special attacks that can render opponents helpless. In fact, unless you have
a specific task you should keep your familiar in your Backpack. To put them
there, talk to the Familiar (you have to click the Talk icon) and ask them
to go in your pack. They are completely safe in the pack. To get them back
out again, simply right-click the Familiar.

Note: If you are a Sorcerer, DO NOT LEARN THE SPELL FIND FAMILIAR!! You
can only learn a maximum of 5 spells per level and you don't want
to waste it on a spell that you cast ONCE. Buy a scroll and cast it
from the Scroll. (Put it in the Quick Item slot, then at the main
screen click that scroll) You will also find this scroll in the
De'Arnise Hold if you are having trouble finding it.

Warning: Familiars can be LOST during transitions to and from various
areas. Some that I know of are the Planar Prison and Jarlaxle's
pocket dimension. What happens is your party is automatically
teleported to a new area, but the Familiar is left behind. That
familiar is then lost for good.

Trick: The easiest way for a non-mage character to gain a Familiar is to
use Alex Malano's "Anyone can cast Mage Scrolls" strategy. Just
pause the game, go to your inventory, right-click a potion in the
backpack to drink it, then swap slots with the Find Familiar scroll
and the potion. Leave the inventory and unpause. You will cast
the spell and get a Familiar.

Trick: Using familiars as a bag of holding: Certain familiars can
pickpocket people, including party members. There seems to be no
limit to the amount of stuff they can keep on them. Drop all the
stuff except what you want to get store in your familiar. Have him
pickpocket you until he gets all of it. Interesting way for a solo
mage to get all the loot in a dungeon out in one go. (Xander77)

Trick: You can, of course, export a character after they got the HP from
the familiar. Then when you start a new game, you'll still have
the extra HP and can then summon a new familiar. Repeat as
desired. However, at that point, you're better off just getting
ShadowKeeper (http://www.mud-master.com/shadowkeeper/) and setting
your HP as high as you want.

Keeping Summoned Monsters (from Xander77)
-------------------------

The take away monster: The trick for taking a group of summoned creatures
through a doorway and into another area is fairly simple. Concentrate your
party near the doorway. Concentrate the monster group farther away from the
doorway. Pause your game. Have the monster group attack a character in the
party. Select the entire party (NOT including the summoned monsters). Click
on the doorway to enter it. Violin! You are now in the new area and your
summoned monsters have followed you there. At this point, they are colored
green, but are not under your command - the talk icon is shown when you click
on them (they have nothing to say, if you wonder). They will attack any
enemies they see, though. But this is not quite over. Save your game. Load
it. The summoned creatures are now under your command.

This works with 80% of the doors that only have a "Loading" screen when you
enter them, and 40% of the doors that have both "Saving" and "Loading" screen
when you enter them.

Duplicating items via Simulacrum (from Xander77)
--------------------------------

Have the book of many spells in your quick item slot. Summon a Simulacrum.
Make him turn the page in the book. The book should disappear from his quick
item slot. Kill the Simulacrum. The book is amongst his remains. This works
ONLY with the book of many spells and ONLY in SoA.

Full strength Simulacrum (from Xander77)
------------------------

The mechanic which the game uses for creating a Simulacrum is fairly
simple -- create a duplicate of the caster and afflict him with level drain.
If you cast a Simulacrum then cast restoration on him, you will get a full
strength duplicate of the caster. This obviously works best with a fighter
using Vhailor's helm. Make sure the Simulacrum has a couple of healing
potions in his quick item slot.

Weapon Effects While Shapeshifted: (from K.C.)
----------------------------------

When a character shapeshifts the effects and equipped abilities from whatever
weapons were equipped will still be in effect. I found this out when my main
character turned into the Slayer and his claws still had the stunning effect
of the Celestial Fury. Later I gave Cernd the Staff of the Ram and sure
enough when he turned into a werewolf he was still able to knock opponents
back.

Cromwell the Smithy:
--------------------

Throughout the game you will get spiffy little pieces of great items. These
pieces can then be put together by Cromwell the Smithy. His average price
is 5,000 gold and it takes a day or two to make. Oh, and you have to stay
and help him (so, I hope you weren't already late for something).

Here is a list of things he can make:

Item Needs (where it is)

The Equalizer Sword -- Pommel Jewel of the Equalizer (Irenicus' Dungeon)
Hilt of the Equalizer (Mind Flayer City, Underdark)
Blade of the Equalizer (Beholder City, Underdark)
The Wave Halberd -- Wave Blade (Sahuagin City)
Wave Shaft (Planar Prison)
Gesen Short Bow -- Gesen Shaft (Tanner's House, Bridge)
Gesen String (Spellhold)
The Crom Faeyr -- Scroll of Crom Faeyr (Shadow Dragon)
Hammer of Thunderbolts (Illithid Lair, Sewers)
Gauntlets of Ogre Power (Planar Sphere)
Girdle of Frost Giant Strength (Underdark)
Mace of Disruption +2 - Mace of Disruption +1 (Bodhi's Lair)
Illithium Ore (Athkatla, Bridge District)
Vorpal Sword -- Silver Hilt (On a Githyanki, Slums, Chapter 6)
Silver Blade (Saemon Havarian, Spellhold)
Ankheg Plate Mail -- Ankheg Shell (Windspear Hills)
Shadow Dragon Leat. -- Shadow Dragon Scales (Abandoned Temple)
Red Dragon Plate -- Red Dragon Scales (Windspear Hills)

These are without a doubt the most powerful artifacts in the game. The Crom
Faeyr is probably the best of these, since it sets one's strength to 25.
(it's a War Hammer with +5 to hit)

Cromwell Trick, Don't Lose your Ingredients! (from Alessio Ronchi)
--------------------------------------------
After beating Firkraag, I took his scales to Cromwell to forge the armor but
when I arrived at the docks a group of smugglers attacked me. I thought, who
cares? I don't want to waste my time fighting those boring guys, let's just
ignore them! I entered Cromwell's home and asked him to forge the armor. What
did those stupid rogues do? They followed me in! So, while Cromwell was
smashing his freaky hammer on the air, the smugglers were smashing Edwin
(grrr...) and I could do nothing because I didn't have any control of the
game (double grr...). Of course they killed Edwin and I was just about
to restart the game when I thought: {{Let's avenge Edwin and then resurrect
him with Jaheira's Harper's call}}. That's what I did, when Cromwell
finished, after killing them, I made my new Edwin re-collect his stuffs...
But what is it? Red scales were still there (Edwin carried them before the
ambush) so I had a red scales armor and red scales! So I told Cromwell to
make another!

Cromwell takes your scales away only after he finishes his work and not when
he begins.

Of course this method works with EVERY artifacts Cromwell can forge. So if
you are disappointed because you have to give up the girdle of frost giants
to make the Crom Fayer, just kill and resurrect your player who carries the
artifacts and that's it! (I used Harper's call because it costs nothing and
doesn't make you lose 1 point of CNS). Oh, you should attack someone who has
few HP, otherwise you just risk to injure him and nothing else... and your
stuff is are gone.

So this is my procedure:

1 - make someone attack your "carrier" before talking to Cromwell

2 - talk to Cromwell and have him forge your artifact

3 - watch...

4 - resurrect and recollect!

Other Assembled Items:
----------------------

These have nothing to do with Cromwell, but are assembled nonetheless.

SPOILERS

Flail of the Ages -- Flail Head (Cold) (De'Arnise Hold)
Flail Head (Fire)
Flail Head (Acid)
Bronze Horn of Valhalla -- Silver Horn of Valhalla ("Fish" House, Bridge)
Diamond (anywhere)
Iron Horn of Valhalla -- Bronze Horn of Valhalla (Maheer, Promenade)
Beljuril (In a Chicken, Umar's Hills)
Human Flesh Armor -- Human Flesh (Tanner's House, Bridge)
Silver Dragon Blood (Underdark)

The Horns of Valhalla are made by Maheer in the Waukeen's Promenade. See
that section for more details.

Mordenkainen's Sword has a Greenstone Amulet: (from Dranyth)
---------------------------------------------

I was in Firkraag's Temple in the area just past the Orcish-Archers-behind-
the-walls ambush, in the hall where you get attacked by the various golems.
I happened to get attacked by an adamantite golem and two stone golems and
backed off to let the stone golems into the room to take them out first, then
went back up to see what I could do about the adamantite golem. I cast
Mordenkainen's Sword and sent the sword after it while I sat back and
watched. The golem had just coughed up one of his mini-Cloudkills and after
a round or two my sword somehow got poisoned by it and began taking 1 damage
a second. After it took 36 damage, the sword died. On the sword's body was
a Greenstone Amulet!

While I was writing this it occurred to me that if it had it when it died,
perhaps you could pick pocket it... so I just summoned a Mordenkainen's
Sword, had Yoshimo quaff a potion of Master Thievery to ensure success, and
sure enough, when I pick pocketed the sword it gave me a Greenstone Amulet!
I believe this is a very regular occurrence then, I hope it will be useful.
As I haven't fought Illithids yet, I'm not sure if these Amulets are that
useful against them or not, but from their description I'd imagine so...

ToB Note: This was removed for Throne of Bhaal.

Healing Flame Trick: (from Mike O)
--------------------

Slight SPOILER

It turns out that raising a character's resistance to something above 100 not
only blocks all damage by that kind of element, but actually heals the
character by a small amount relative to the amount of damage that should have
been done. The place I discovered this is also probably the best place to
take advantage of it - in the Temple Ruins. If you stand on the incorrect
letter of the room where you are supposed to spell out Amaunator's name you
will get nailed repeatedly by a Flame Strike spell. But when I used the Red
Dragon Scale in conjunction with a Fire Resistance ring and one other item I
can't remember to raise different character's resistances to fire above 100,
I could just sit them there and watch their health bars quickly raise. If you
are evil in alignment you also get to enjoy their screaming in pain as they
roast :) Any trap that causes damage of a certain type repeatedly will work,
though fire traps are probably the most useful since items that provide fire
resistance are more common than any other kind.

Editor's Note: There are also Fire resistant spells. Further, this works
with any Resistance over 100%, including weapon resistances!

Reputation:
-----------

You really want a high reputation. The higher the better. Even if you have
an evil party you want a high reputation. If you have a good or neutral
party, try for a reputation of 20, if you have an evil party, you still want
a reputation of 18 (the highest you can go before all the evil people start
leaving). Because of these various things, I would not recommend having a
mixed alignment party. By mixed I mean good and evil combined. The best
part about a good reputation is that everything is given the "hero discount",
up to 50% off of items in stores!

Note: If you get an Evil person to join and your reputation is ALREADY
above 18, then they will stay. Unless your reputation changes
again. If you start at 20, get someone to join, then go down to 19
they might leave anyway. (from Moby)

Trick: You know how if your reputation hits 19, evil people will leave the
party? You can prevent this if you have Viconia. Whenever Viconia
joins you, you lose 2 Rep. Whenever you dump her, you gain 2 Rep.
So, whenever I found a quest where I would get a reputation point
reward (after my reputation had reached 18), I would just load the
game to a saved game before getting the reward, dismiss Viconia
(and ask her to wait right there). My reputation would become 20.
Then getting the reward would not change the reputation (since max
rep is 20). Then get back Viconia, and rep falls to 18 again. This
means that rep will always be 18 (you can always dump her to buy
and sell stuff, then get her back). I don't know if you need to
remove Edwin and Korgan too, but I believe they should be removed
before your rep hits 20 when Viconia is removed. They may not gain
some of the quest xp. Still, Viconia's level was good enough for
turn undead (from Jafar Sadeq, [email protected]).

Level/Ability Drain:
--------------------

One of the more annoying abilities of Undead creatures (Shadows, Wraiths,
Vampires) is their ability to drain your characters stats or levels. First,
it should be noted that Stat drains are TEMPORARY and given some time your
stats will return to normal. No special action need be taken.

However, LEVEL drains are NOT temporary. They must be reversed with a
Restoration spell. Priests get the spell "Lesser Restoration" with their
4th level spells (A Priest must be on level 7 to cast 4th level spells).
There are also Restoration scrolls and temples offer that service as well.
Until they are restored, your people will be operating as though they were on
a lower level, however they still accrue experience as normal; so once
restored they will be fine.

Romances:
---------

The main character can have a bit of a romantic subplot with certain
companions who join you.

Male Character -- Viconia, Jaheira or Aerie
Female Character -- Anomen

Romances can only start in the city, or outside, NOT in a dank dungeon.
(usually, there are exceptions) I'm not entirely sure how these work and
assume that they just "happen". There is a slight consequence to having a
romance with someone, but it doesn't come up until Chapter 6.

Romances are essentially just the NPC and your character chatting.
Relationships develop depending on your reactions to what they say. For
example, Viconia respects strength, Jaheira honesty and Aerie niceness.

Also, Romances have various subplots related to them:

SPOILERS

Viconia: attacked by a Drow and a Yochlol
Jaheira: attacked by Bandits*
Aerie: no subplot
Anomen: Seeks revenge for the death of his father

* I'd recommend downloading the Jaheira Improved Romance file, which you
can find here:

http://www.baldurdash.org/

BIG SPOILER

The Viconia romance has a "bad" ending no matter what you do. That is, you
sleep with her, and she then decides to break up with you. Nothing you can
do about it, really. It should also be noted that Viconia sleeps with you
really fast, then treats you bad before giving in to you once more.

In order to get a positive ending with Aerie, you must choose to NOT sleep
with her. This still ends the romance (completes it, you could say), but
on a more positive note.

Haer'Dalis and Aerie can even have a little "fling." (I've heard on the
official boards that Haer'Dalis was originally meant to be the second male
romance, but that it was taken out due to time constraints. That is, in fact
why he has a fling with Aerie, it was meant to be a Love Triangle, where he
eventually chooses your character)

Some things to keep in mind about romances:

The gender of the main character for romance purposes is fixed at the
very beginning of the game. This means that the girdle of gender bender
will not have any effect on romances, and that you can start a multiplayer
game with a male character, then switch to a female character and pursue a
lesbian romance with Jaheira, Aerie or Viconia (or vice versa with
Anomen - perish the thought). (Per Jorner)

Dropping a love interest from the party will terminate the romance, so
don't start one with someone you aren't willing to keep around permanently.
This means that you won't be able to juggle Viconia for the reputation
shifts if you're seeing her. (Alan Cherry)

Also, a bug in Jaheira's script will break the romance off if she gets
petrified after you're been summoned to the Harper Hold. After you de-stone
her, Jaheira immediately takes off for the Harper Hold when you try to have
her rejoin the party, even if you've already gone there. You can pick her
up at the Docks, but the romance is still over. (I didn't know this had
happened until Aerie started flirting again). You'll have to reactivate the
romance from the console to proceed with it. (Alan Cherry)

Editor's Note: You could reactivate it with the console:

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("JaheiraRomanceActive","GLOBALS",2)

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("JaheiraRomanceActive","GLOBALS",1)

or you could just download the program Shadowkeeper.

http://www.mud-master.com/shadowkeeper/

The romance talks work on real time not game time, for instance if your
having a romance with Aerie and she talks to you on day 10 you couldn't
rest in an inn for 10 days and then she'd speak to you. Rather it seems
you have to wait about 30 min to 1 hour of your time before she speaks to
you again. Unfortunately this doesn't mean your romantic NPC is going to
speak to you every time sometimes you have to do something else before they
talk to you again e.g. Jaheira won't talk to you after a while if you
haven't done the bandit quest. (Miguel)

Jaheira Note: Firstly if you buy Jaheira a necklace from a merchant in the
docks area (next to the temple) and then tell her you have
feelings for her this will start a romance with her, however
you will not get summoned to the Harper hold (after the Xzar
quest) until you have done the bandit Quest. Then After
being summoned to the hold and completing that section the
entire Harper quest is then tied up with Jaheira's romance
talks, after 2 or 3 chats the next part of the Harper quest
continues. (Miguel)

Romances will be continued in Throne of Bhaal.

Also, you might want to visit the BG2 page at:

http://www.sorcerers.net/

To find some interesting utilities dealing with romances.

Limited Wish:
-------------

The limited Wish spell can be very powerful... however it can also have some
pretty dire consequences. When cast it summons a Genie who will grant two
types of wishes: repeatable and one-time wishes. By repeatable it means that
you can wish for that again (such as healing your party), a one-time wish
disappears after it is cast once. Whether you can wish for something at ALL
is determined by how much WISDOM the caster has. Then whether the wish
is successful is also based on WISDOM.

Andrea Nicoli has this tip:

I experimented them with Nalia (little dumb girl with only WIS 9) and
lost all my spells. Then I discovered that, if you do not wait
for the Dao to speak with you, but talk to him yourself quick with
another character (I used Aerie who has WIS 17) you can get the whole
list! (I think that in this way you can get your big fighter to receive
the shapechanging ability, but I could not try because I had already used
the one time wish). In this way you do not need a high WIS mage to cast
this spell.

Repeatable Wishes: Wisdom Result
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wish for my entire party to be healed. (WIS 10+) -- Heals the party

I wish that none of my party would die (WIS 9-) -- poisons the party
of their wounds.

I wish that spells I have cast would be (WIS 16+) -- get Spells back
restored, that I might cast them again!

I wish for my spells to be restored! (WIS 15-) -- lose Spells already
memorized

I wish to make my party invulnerable. (WIS 12+) -- casts Globes of
Invulnerability for
the party

I wish that magic would fail to affect (WIS 11-) -- Party can't cast
me or my party. spells

I wish to summon a horde to overrun my enemies. -- Summons a rabbit

I wish to be protected from the undead. (WIS 10+) -- Negative Plane
Protection, Party

I wish to be protected from undead (WIS 9-) -- Summons Vampires
right now.

One Time Wishes:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wish to be rich. (WIS 10+) -- gives 2000 gold and
several gems

I wish for a powerful magical item. (WIS 11+) -- Full Plate +2

I wish to be more experienced. (WIS 3+) -- summons several
Golems to fight

I wish to see all as it really is. (WIS 12+) -- Glasses of
Identification

I wish for an adventure like none (WIS 10+) -- starts the "gong"
I've ever experienced before. quest, and gives
you a scroll

I wish for control over time. (WIS 14+) -- casts Time Stop

I wish to be anything I desire. (WIS 6+) -- Allows you limited
Polymorphs

I wish to be prepared for anything. (WIS 10+) -- casts Chain
Contingency

I wish that all my enemies will die. (WIS 11+) -- casts Wail of the
Banshee

Dual Wield Meteors: (from Lani Weaver)
-------------------

Here's a great tip for those dual or multi-classed fighter-mages: Put all
the slots you can into dual-wield, dual wield your best weapon in your off
hand, then cast Melf's Minute Meteors. You will throw the meteor, then
attack with the weapon in your off hand, from any distance!

Lockpicking for fun and Profit:
-------------------------------

Since your party gains experience for doing simple things, such as detrapping
and unlocking, there are naturally a few tricks to maximize this.

If you want to behave yourself and not steal from the shopkeepers, you
can still gain the experience from lockpicking their chests. There are no
consequences (rep. decrease, guards summoned, etc.) as long as you don't
actually open the chest. (George Adam III)

Pickpocketing Strategies: (from Henning Roes)
-------------------------

I spent some hours and pick-pocketed nearly everybody in the game who was not
hostile. It's easy even in the beginning with Jan and a potion.

Commoners and Peasants: Nothing, 1-10 gold and minor spells
Amnish Soldiers: 20-40 gold and a 30% to get a scroll (up to level 8)
Nobleman/Noblewoman: jewels and gold

It's worthy to take several trials on the last two categories if you need
money and spells in the beginning.

Special items:
Ribald in the Adventurer's Mart, Waukeen's Promenade: Ring of Regeneration
Guardian Telwyn in the Temple of Helm, Temple District: Helm of Glory (quest
reward, if you want to have it before completing the quest)
Tolgerias in the Council of Six Building, Government District: Ring of Ram
(He will drop another one after defeating him in the Planar Sphere)
Taquee the Djinn in Trademeet: Bottle of Efreeti
Lord Feveron, in the Bridge district, can be pickpocketed for a scroll of
Simulacrum.
The Lady of the Keep, in the de'Arnise hold, can be pickpocketed for a scroll
of Protection from Normal Weapons.

Regardless of how high the thieving skills are, there's always a 1% of
failure. Quicksave is a must. It's possible to steal from everybody who has
a cyan circlet. So you can steal the Ring of Gaxx and get another one by
killing him (but this seems to be cheating). Charming the creature increases
the chances of pick-pocketing (don't do this to important NPC's).

A Stealing Trick: (from David Weldon)
-----------------

Here is a strategy that I used to great effect once I got the thieves
guild stronghold. It actually only requires that you find a merchant
who will buy stolen goods.

First, save up 20K or so to buy the most expensive item you can find in
Athkatla. Buy that item, then go sell it to the merchant who will buy stolen
goods. (for example, Jayes in the right part of Waukeen's Promenade)

Have a thief drink 5 or 6 potions of master thievery (you won't need any
more after this, so use all of them that you can buy from local
merchants if you want. I generally stopped at around 250 or so Pick
Pockets).

Proceed to steal and sell back the same item over and over to the
merchant. You can rack up any amount of gold that you would want, and
then never have to worry about stealing anything again.

I actually bought and sold 4 items at a time, because that's what you
can click on the interface screen without moving the slider. I netted
about 30000 from the four items each time, and in less than 5 minutes I
had more gold than I will ever need.

It's a lot more rewarding to rip off the thieves' guild and laugh at how
stupid their merchants are than it is to just edit your gold amount with
a cheat or editor. At least, I felt so!

"Shopthrifting" from Clayton a.k.a. Lord Nazgul, Monk Savant
---------------

What you need:
- some gold (the more the merrier)
- a store selling high quantities of the items you want (i.e., selling 5
fireball spells as opposed to selling 5 single different spells)
- something to sell (that short sword the goblin had works well)
- a buyer with lots of room for the purchase

What you do:
- Select the items you wish to purchase (taking multiple copies where
available). The cost will go up as normal, but don't worry about the cost
yet. Notice the cost though.
- BEFORE purchasing, sell the short sword (or whatever else). Upon
completing the sale, you'll notice the cost will drop to the price as if you
only selected a single copy of each item.
- Complete the purchase. You will be allowed to make the purchase as long
as you have enough money to cover the "cost" that is displayed. The game
however still tries to charge you what it should cost. However, it will not
leave you with a negative gold value.

I've tried this in a number of stores now, and it has worked well. Works
especially well with the merchant at the city gate. He had some nice
scrolls, but I didn't have enough to purchase for all my mages. I figure
he's owes me one after I stopped him from getting killed.

Leveling up a Dual-Classed Mage Quickly:
-----------------------------------------

If your main character was one class, and is now being dual classed to a
mage, you will be at quite the disadvantage until your old class abilities
resurface. (which happens when your current level, exceeds your old class'
level) To speed things up, we take advantage of the Experience for Spells
Memorized.

First, save it. Then kick everyone out of the party. Now buy every spell
you can, and learn every possible spell. Not only are you gaining
experience, but you will be quickly gaining whole levels. This probably
won't get you above your Dual Class requirement, but it will help a lot.

Learning more Mage Spells than Normal:
--------------------------------------

Normally mages are limited by their Intelligence as to how many spells they
can learn per level. For example, someone with 17 INT can learn only 14
spells per level. To get around this, simply drink a Potion of Genius (or
other INT raising potion) and learn all the spells you want. This also works
to increase the ODDS that you successfully learn the spell.

Although an easier way to increase the odds that you learn a spell is to
temporarily drop the difficulty of the game to 'normal' where all spells are
memorized.

Anyone can cast Mage Scrolls: (from Alex Malano)
-----------------------------

First, go into the inventory screen and drink, use a potion (may work with
other use items, however I have not tested this). If you're playing in
multiplayer you'll need to pause first.

Then, replace the location of the "drunken" potion with any scroll of your
choice, and exit the inventory screen.

If done correctly, the character should start to cast the spell, and the
potion is not used up.

Editor's Note: Also an interesting way to get a non-mage main character a
Familiar.

Gem Replication Trick (from K.C.)
---------------------

Remember that bug cheat in BGI that let you replicate gems? You would place
a potion in your quick item slot, replace it with a gem, and then "use" the
gem twice to change the number amount. It still works in BGII. Just R-click
on a potion in your inventory to drink it and swap it for a rogue stone, for
example. The number will disappear. Now do it again and the number changes
to 65535, which is FFFF in hexadecimal notation. This is more than enough
gold to finance your entire game all the way through ToB.

Editor's Note: If you're in multiplayer, make sure that game is PAUSED
before doing this trick.

"Fake Talk" as Applied to Stealing from Shopkeepers: (from Aleph)
----------------------------------------------------

Kudos to your "talk-fight" strategy. I have expanded on this a bit, and
would like to give you another way to use it beyond dragonslaying...
it's called the "Absent-Minded Shopkeeper".

Steps.
1) Enter store.
2) Save game.
3) Ask to see goods and start stealing away from the Steal screen.
4) The second you are caught and the steal screen disappears, hit space
bar. Don't even wait for the normal screen to come back.
5) While paused, click on the storekeeper again (talk function) and
unpause. If timed right, you will be able to talk to them again, and
thus continue stealing. You can also quicksave while paused if you
doubt your reflexes.
6) At the end, talk to the shopkeeper without getting caught and you
should be able to walk away without their turning red, rep loss, etc.

Great places to steal are the armorer in Waukeen's Promenade, the mage at
the back of Ribald's, the scroll guy in the Promenade, Gareth's contact
(for glasses of ID), Trademeet (for acid club, inertia belt, others),
and Underdark. Also note that while you can't steal from Ribald's
goods, you can pickpocket him for a ring of regeneration.

Note: There are times when this strategy will fail, causing the people to
go hostile anyway.

Stolen items can then be sold at any shopkeep whose goods are "stolen".
(Roger the Fence, the Thieves Guild, etc.)

Manipulating Things, without anyone Noticing: (from Rolander)
---------------------------------------------

For some reason, if you are stealthed or invisible and you manipulate those
objects, you do NOT come out of stealth/invisible mode and enemies (if
present) will remain ignorant of your presence. Dunno if it's a bug, but
it can avoid some unnecessary battle if you use a stealthed/invisible
character to go in, activate and get out. (e.g. in the Shade Lord quest, I
used a stealthed character to grab the 1st sun gem and snuck him past the
gathered shadows without a fight)

Monks can wear Keldorn's Armor: (from ROB)
-------------------------------

If you read the description for Keldorn's Armor it mentions that "few others
than" he can wear it. Interesting. Turns out that Monks can wear it, if
they have these stats:

15 STR
17 CON
12 INT
18 CHA

You can, of course, improve your stats via items. Say you have only 14 STR
and 3 CHA. So, if you put on the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength and the Ring
of Human Influence, you will raise your stats and could then wear the armor.

This is the ONLY armor that Monks can wear! It has an AC of 0, +1 to Saving
Throws and Free Action on its wearer. Of course, when your Monk hits level
18 his natural AC is just as good as the armor, making it almost pointless.
(You still get the Free Action and Saving Throw bonus, of course)

So, if you have a Monk, go find Keldorn and swipe his armor. If you want
Keldorn in your party and feel bad about this, just remember that he can wear
any armor he wants, while your Monk can only wear Keldorn's.

Fighter/Mages and the Corthala Family Armor: (from Henning Roes)
--------------------------------------------

The Corthala Family Armor can be equipped by your main char if you can wear
leather. But you cannot wear it if your WIS is too low. Drink a potion of
insight, equip the armor. Then try a dispel magic on him and the additional
WIS is gone but the armor is still equipped. Good armor for a fighter/mage
early in the game since you can cast spells while wearing it and doesn't
evaporate in the sun like Drow armor.

Editor's Note: The minimum requirements for wearing the armor are:

6 STR, 18 DEX and 11 WIS

Also, this only seems to work on dual classed Fighter/mages.
(Multi-Classed Elves and Half-Elves can't wear it)
Fighter/Clerics with the above stats can also weaer the
armor.

Special Abilities:
------------------

Your main character (Protagonist) starts the game with the special abilities
that he/she had in Baldur's Gate. THESE ARE NOT SET IN STONE. If you
created a new character from scratch these will be: (based on main
character's Alignment)

Lawful Good: Neutral Good: Chaotic Good:
----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
Cure Light Wounds 2 Cure Light Wounds 2 Cure Light Wounds 2
Slow Poison 2 Slow Poison 2 Slow Poison 2
Draw Upon Holy Might 2 Draw Upon Holy Might 2 Draw Upon Holy Might 1
Vampiric Touch 1

Lawful Neutral: (True) Neutral: Chaotic Neutral:
------------------------ ---------------------- -----------------------
Larloch's Minor Drain 2 Cure Light Wounds 2 Cure Light Wounds 2
Horror 1 Horror 1 Horror 2
Slow Poison 1 Slow Poison 1 Draw Upon Holy Might 1
Draw Upon Holy Might 1 Draw Upon Holy Might 2 Vampiric Touch 1
Vampiric Touch 1

Lawful Evil: Neutral Evil: Chaotic Evil:
------------------------ ------------------------ ---------------------
Cure Light Wounds 1 Larloch's Minor Drain 2 Larloch's Minor... 2
Larloch's Minor Drain 1 Horror 1 Horror 2
Horror 1 Slow Poison 1 Vampiric Touch 2
Slow Poison 1 Draw Upon Holy Might 1
Draw Upon Holy Might 1 Vampiric Touch 1
Vampiric Touch 1 (new charts from Death Crow)

Souma has an interesting Evil Abilities strategy:

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how useful some of those evil
powers are. Well, it is when you use the Call Woodland Beings spell (with
Jaheira natch). Not only do you get to cast Mass Cure as a Level 4 spell
instead of a Level 5 (sort of), but if you don't need the Nymph getting in
your way afterwards, you can use those evil Larloch's Minor Drain and
Vampiric Touches on it and gain big hit points temporarily.

BIG SPOILER:

Eventually you will lose these special abilities when Irenicus finishes
what he began at the beginning of the game. Soon after you will gain a
new ability, to become the Avatar of Bhaal, the Slayer. The Slayer is
immensely powerful, and immune to just about everything. However...

There are a couple things to keep in mind about the Slayer. First, you
lose 2 reputation points every time you become the Slayer. Not much, but
it can add up if you use it too often. Second, if you stay the Slayer for
too long at one time, you will die and the game will end.

END SPOILER

Larloch's Minor Drain Trick
---------------------------

Casting Larloch's Minor Drain on yourself has some wonderful effects. You'd
think that you would lose Hit points, but you gain it back from the spell...
and more! You can actually heal yourself with an offensive spell.

Gain More Hit Points at Level Up
--------------------------------

Casting Draw Upon Holy Might before going up a level (until level 10, after
which this becomes pointless). This increases your CON, which for most
characters, will give them bonus Hit points. Because your CON is higher
when you gain a level, you will actually gain more hit points than normal.
These hit points even stay with you when the Holy Might goes away. Very
useful way to use the main character's special abilities. This is especially
useful for fighter type main characters as they gain the full bonus from
having a high CON.

Dual Classing Restores Traps (with generous assistance from the Lord of Fire)
----------------------------

One way to get Yoshimo's (or anyone's) Set Traps ability back (after having
set a trap) is to dual class, then cancel that dual. When that is done your
old abilities are restored to you, including your set traps.

Note: Kicking a thief out of the party will reset their traps as well,
however, any monster killed with the trap will NOT give you
Experience.

"Sandman's Ring" and the Solo Thief (from Xander77)
-----------------------------------

Most people I know, sort of disregard the "Sandman's rings" (the ones that
allow you to become invisible once per day). I found the invaluable for a
soloing thief char. You can hide in the shadows, walk into a battle, backstab
someone, turn the ring on, and then either walk out of the screen (if
somebody starts casting a True Sight spell or some such, or if you want to
let their defenses drop) then walk into the battle and backstab again. There
are 6+ such rings throughout the game, so you can make 6+ backstabs per
battle. And you don't have to use up potions or spells. (I really love
once-per-day use items, because I don't feel that I "wasted" something when I
use them)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII. } } } } Monster Fighting Strategies
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic monster fighting strategies (ones that tend to work well against all
monsters) are in this section. The following sections have specific advice
for dealing with the tougher monsters.

Basic strategies (from Xander77)
----------------

Backstab from someone powerful is always good.

Melf's Minute Meteors/Bolt of Glory/Ram's ring ignore magic resistance.

The Inquisitor's Dispel makes every mage battle a lot easier.

Greater Malison + Doom + Instant death spell (Finger of Death, Polymorph
other, heck - even Chromatic Orb) = (usually) instant death.

Slayer kills everything.

The Invisible Door Blocker Strategy: (from Phobia)
------------------------------------

What you do is make a guy invisible with a ring, potion, stealth, etc. and
have him stand in a doorway (if the doorway is too big, you can have two
people standing there side by side, this only works in doorways that you
can stand in, the HUGE ones don't count). Then you send someone into the
room, the invisi-guys will move to let him through, then go back into
place, when the enemies see you, run back through the doorway. The enemies
will run into your invisible characters and not attack them because they
can't see them, then you can take the enemies out with spells and ranged
weapons.

Editor's Note: I would turn the Party AI off for this strategy. You need
to prevent your invisi-guys from attacking and becoming
visible.

A Defensive Spin Trick: (from Tim Marshal)
-----------------------

Blades can move while in defensive spin. All that is needed is to have the
free action effect on the Blade before or during the spin (i.e. potion,
spell, ring). Haer'Dalis has become one of my best lure characters. Equip
him with Stoneskin, several items that grant magical resistance, and the
ring of free action. Have him go into defensive spin and you are nearly
untouchable.

The "Fake Talk to the Enemy" Strategy: (Dragonslaying)
--------------------------------------

This is one of the bigger exploits in the game, and it is incredibly
simple to pull off. Many enemies start out with the Light Blue circles
around them indicating that they are neutral, which means you talk to them
and they become hostile later. (Or sometimes they talk to you)

What you do is this. First make any normal battle preparations (cast
protective spells, haste and whatnot), then PAUSE the game. Now click on
every enemy as though you were going to TALK to them. Then switch over to
attack mode and Force-Attack your enemies. When you unpause the game they
won't attack you. And if there are more than one enemy, the others will
wait a while before attacking, watching you take out their comrades! This
can be repeated as often as desired, and if you want to keep doing it, be
sure to pause about every 5 seconds and continue it. (they will become
hostile after 6 seconds -- one round -- and attack you)

Where is this strategy MOST useful? Dragonslaying, of course! The three
dragons in the game all start out with Light Blue circles around them. So,
do the fake-talk to them, and start attacking. You will get quite a lot of
time before they raise their defenses, time that you can use to do some
damage.

Note: There are times when you absolutely should NOT use this strategy.
Some monsters don't die, instead they start talking when they
get close to death. With the Fake Talk, you won't reach this
point and the monsters will never die. Don't use it on Lassal,
Kangaxx, Lavok, Irenicus and anyone who is particularly crucial to
the plot.

Tough Battle Tips:
------------------

Some basic strategies that I have heard of to kill tough monsters:

- Back away from the monster so that you can't see it anymore, then cast
Cloudkill. If you're a sorcerer or have the wand, drop as many
Cloudkills as you can. Their effects stack.
- Use a Monk's "Quivering Palm" attack to kill it.
- Have a Kensai/Thief backstab it.
- Have a Cleric cast Thac0 modifying spells on self, then cast Slay
Living on target. (Adar)
- Summon forth a Pit Fiend, then keep the party out of the battle. (Adar)

Project Image and Cloudkill: (from Jafar Sadeq, [email protected])
----------------------------

I rested once before killing the black dragon. I used the cloudkill
strategy, had Nalia memorize 3 project images and 6 cloudkills (using a
ring of wizardry). Then just project image, hit 6 cloudkills in general
direction of dragon, quickly kill the image with the best fighter (my
beastmaster dual-wielding the bone club and gnasher) so I could get another
image and set off more cloudkills as soon as possible. It took all three
images' cloudkills, otherwise the damage would be so slow that it would
cast heal before it could be killed. (I once managed to get an image to
project another image, but wasn't been able to repeat it.) I did not rest
once after this and finished the game without using any spell other than
one Protection from Evil 10'.

Editor's Note: Project Image is probably the most useful spell in the game,
and the easiest one to abuse as well. Using Project Image
you can have the image cast every spell you have, and when
the Image disappears, you will still have all those spells.

Also, the Image has no summon limit, it can summon as many
monsters as it wants. Very useful to summon up a dozen
Skeletal Warriors (or in ToB, a half dozen Planetars).

Infinite Lightning Bolts: (From Brawny Lam)
-------------------------

I was fighting Kuo-Toa in the underdark exit: In the heat of battle, I
accidentally got Imoen to cast lightning bolt on my ranger PC. Luckily
enough my ranger was wearing the Cloak of Mirroring, so the lightning bolt
got reflected back to Imoen, who was wearing the Cloak of Reflection, so
the lightning bolt kept being reflected back and forth from my ranger to
Imoen and vice-versa.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Every time a lightning bolt got
reflected, the original lightning bolt would continue to bounce around the
room. So after a couple of reflections, I had about 4 to 5 lightning bolts
bouncing all over the place vaporizing everything in their path. I was
quite happy that the Kuo-Toa were being turned into ash before my eyes, but
not quite so happy when it killed my entire party as well, except for my
ranger and Imoen, who were still reflecting lightning bolts back and forth.

Not sure how useful this trick is, but I thought I'd mention it since its
cool looking at all those lightning bolts flying all over the place. It'll
probably be more useful if the party was protected from electricity.

Chromatic Doom: (from the Maxx)
---------------

You remember that first-level mage spell "chromatic orb", and the first
level priest spell "doom"? The ones that just seemed really crappy at the
start? Well, if your mage is level 12 or higher, any enemy hit by it must
save vs. death, or be instantly killed. Now, granted, dragons have a good
save vs. spells, but not after you hit them with doom. If you have Aerie
in your party, have her throw the two spells into a sequencer, or minor
sequencer. I was able to kill the shadow dragon in Suldanesselar, the red
dragon in Watcher's keep, and one or two others, only using these spells,
nothing else.

Note: Make sure to place doom in the sequencer before you put chromatic
orb in first, or else you just wasted a spell.

Set Snare Tricks:
------------------

Strategy tip for dragons and other tough battles: I went to the
Windspear Hills right after doing Nalia's Keep on my first run-through,
and when I reached the Red Dragon. I was still quite low level, as I hadn't
done any of the town quests except Aerie's circus and the slaving ring in
the Copper Coronet. I figured, oh what the hell, I'll give it a go anyway,
and proceeded to prep for battle. By chance, I remembered Yoshimo's set
snares ability, and strung snares all around the big lizard before
attacking. They must have accounted for at least half the damage I did to
it, and I managed to kill it without any severe injuries to my party. And
there I was with a +5 Holy Avenger and no freaking paladin to wield it!
Anyway, I thought I should mention this as it seems many people have
overlooked this ability on the BBs I've looked at, and it can prove
invaluable in any number of combats (especially those you can prep for).
IMHO it makes the bounty hunter far superior to the other thief kits.
(Geoff Ulreich)

To expand on that tip, lets consider this: with not only Bounty Hunter
kit's Set Special Snare ability, even a regular snare cannot be stopped by
any creature's resistance stats or saving throws. What that means is
thieves' snares are, in actuality, the best weapons in the game for
defeating just about every boss and mini-boss. What I usually do is to set
traps around dragons (they never initiate attack), rest, set some more,
rest, and set more.... Since snares do not 'expire' when you rest, you can
essentially blanket an entire area with snares. Not only can you do this
around tough enemies such as the dragons (Yoshimo killed the first two
dragons for me without a single member of my party having to go on attack),
but also such as the Mind Flayers, Beholders, and other tough(er) enemies
in this game, some of which you can not even go near without layers and
layers of protective spells. Just lure them to an area FILLED with traps
and Voila! (Willis Su)

As you can see, this is so unfair it runs into game-balance issues --
another reason I was reluctant to share the tip. One warning to anyone
trying such a tactic: be diligent in removing snare notations on area
maps, or the map WILL cause the game to crash, since it's NOT designed
to handle so many snare notations.

Juky & 649 of 711 have a better Snares Strategy:

My cousin and I have found a really neat trick. With any thief or bounty
hunter, you can set infinite traps. Have the thief set all his/her traps,
and then reform your party. Remove the thief from the party. The thief
will then move to talk to your main character. He/she will ask your main
character if his/her services are still needed. Say yes. The character
will rejoin the party, and all his/her traps skills are refreshed.

I have tried this many times with Yoshimo, and it has made certain tough
battles a lot easier.

Note: You can also just click Dual Class, then Cancel to get your Snares
back. (SMShadow)

This method is actually preferred, as the traps of a kicked-out party
member (even if they return) won't net you any experience.

How to Kill Civilians (without really trying): (from Willis Su)
----------------------------------------------

For those that are able, cast the necessary protection spells (Protection
from Evil), and summon forth a demon (Cacofiend, Gate, etc.). The demon
that you summoned will tear everyone in the vicinity to shreds without
affecting your reputation. Just make sure your party can contain the demon
so it kills whom you wanted it to kill, or else you may start to lose
quest-vital NPCs. This is in response to those neutral
characters/townsfolks that sometimes turn hostile either through thievery
on your part, or due to some other scripting bug. Use it cautiously.

The Death Spell
---------------

The Death Spell kills all monsters with 8 or fewer hit dice. (A "Hit Die" is
roughly the equivalent of a level) There are a great MANY monsters in the
game that fit this bill, including, but not limited to:

Trolls (although they'll still need to be hit with Fire or Acid, but you
get double experience for killing them twice)
Umber Hulks
Mind Flayers

The Death spell will instantly kill these bad guys. However, Mind Flayers
have Spell Resistance at 90%... which does limit its usefulness against them.
(Although the Flayers guarding Phaere are considered "summoned" and will die
instantly against this spell)

RCL has many battle tips and strategies:
----------------------------------------

"Um, seeya" strategy

I just wanted to emphasize that many groups of enemies (especially ones
with mages, such as the Slum Slavers or the second-floor enemies in the
Guarded Compound) will be much easier to kill if you move immediately back
downstairs/out the door, etc. (into another game area map) after they
decide to attack you. Some will follow you and some will not, and even if
they do, they do it one at a time instead of moving as a group like yours,
giving you windows to take them out one at a time. Also, if the
spellcasters do not follow you out, that gives you an opportunity to wait
until their protective spells expire before you go back in.

"Not another summoned creature!" strategy

For some of those monsters that have special attacks or cast spells, send
in a lot of little summoned creatures (one at a time) to bamboozle them
into wasting their memorized spells and special attacks (such as Dragon
breath), which I believe are limited in number. If you can control the
creatures, make them walk around the monsters a bit to induce the monsters
to cast spells instead of using physical attacks.

Marking enemies' location with junk

There are times when you want to move out of the enemy's sight and use
spells like cloudkills, etc. to kill him. An easier way to remember where
they are so that you can cast those spells is to drop some junk as markers.
Even with the fog o' war you will still be able to see the junk from far
away.

For example, I killed the red dragon while virtually no one was severely
hurt by:

1. Walked right next to him and dropped some junk and set some snares.
2. Made him hostile, by sending in one character to talk to him.
3. The character then got out of the dragon's sight immediately.
4. Summoned any creature at spots where you know the dragon can see them
rising but cannot touch them without walking up to them. The dragon
naturally chose to use his breath on that creature, usually killing it
before it even started to walk.
5. Repeated with summoning creatures large and small, until the dragon
stopped using his special attacks...
6. Cast some area-attack spells where the dragon was, and then
7. Haste -} breach -} group charge -} dead dragon -} holy avenger and
dragon scales.

The 3 basic high level insta-kills (from Xander77)
----------------------------------

1) Chain Contingency + 3 Horrid Wiltings. Basic for killing groups of
enemies. If used to kill a single tough enemy, a spell sequencer - 3
pierce shield or 3 lower resistances is good beforehand. Also - Set the
contingency, rest, trigger the contingency in battle, then immediately
set the same contingency again.

2) Timestop + Improve Alacracity. Make sure your PC auto pauses after a
spell is cast. Lower Resistance, Pierce shield, then go Whacko. With a
Robe of Vecna + Amulet of power, your level 1 spells Magic Missile and
Chromatic Orb will have a casting time of zero, so cast the whole lot of
the first, then go with any kind of (overkill at this point) spell you
feel like.

3) Shapeshift + Timestop. Once Timestop kicks in, Shapeshift into the
Mindflayer. During Timestop, all your attacks are auto-hits. So once
timestop ends, your enemy is dead.

A stat drain will kill most of the unkillable "vital to game progress"
NPC's - even the ones immune to the CTRL-Q insta-death cheat. So,
Shapechange - Mindflayer kills all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.1 } } } } Golems
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golem Trick:
------------

There is a great little trick for defeating any Golems you might run into.
Simply take the Ring of Earth Control and use it's Control/Charm Earth
Elemental ability on the biggest Golem around. Despite the description of
the spell, it actually works on the golems too! It might take a couple of
tries, but you can rest in the same room as the golems and try again. After
you've gotten the biggest on there charmed, let him kill off the others and
then loot the treasures before the spell wears off. (from Greymane)

Clay Golems:
------------

Clay Golems MUST be hit by BLUNT weaponry to score effective hits. Sample
blunt weapons are: Clubs, Maces, Morningstars, Fists and Staves. Hit them
with anything else and you will get the "weapon not effective" shtick.
One exception to this are weapons that have bonus damage, such as +1 fire
damage. The weapon itself won't hit, but it will still do its fire damage.

Iron/Adamantium Golems butchering (from Xander77)
---------------------------------

You can just engage the golem in hand-to-hand with +3 weapons, of course, but
I wouldn't recommend it - they deal massive damage and are usually contained
in rooms with exits through which they can't fit. The only place where they
run free is Suldanessalar, and there you can use the invisible door blocker
to keep them at bay - just have her move away a meter or 2 when the golem
uses the gas attack. A character wielding a +3 two-handed sword can
reach the golem and hurt him, while the golem can't hurt him. The gas attack
is sometimes capable of hurting him and sometimes not - haven't quite worked
it out. If it does hurt, just move the character away until stops. Go back
to hacking away at the golem.

- Personally I don't care for this one, but if you're desperate for the
experience and don't have any other means of handling the golem, you can
lower his MR once or twice then magic missile him to death. The golem only
has 80 hp or so - not too tough a task.

- Melf's minute meteors - ignore magic resistance. One casting is enough to
kill a golem (some kind of ThacO spell is preferable beforehand, though).
Great for killing magic resistant creatures.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.2 } } } } Demons
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Demon Fighting:
---------------

Find yourself fighting some mighty demon? Pit Fiend? Glabrezu? Well fear
no more! Simply cast Protection from Evil on your party and they will
ignore you! This is not a guaranteed strategy, some demons will attack
you anyway.

Demons killing (from Xander77)
--------------

- As this FAQ mentions, protection from evil 10 feet radius works wonders.
Most random (non quest related) demons won't see you, thus giving plenty of
time to ambush them.

- Going hand to hand. Actually not that bad of an idea. By the time you start
running into demons, you should have several +2/+3 weapons in you party (if
you don't, you probably won't manage to get through the area where the demon
is) so you're capable of hurting him. There are often several annoying
distraction - quasits, genies, and such - around the demon. Get rid of them
using some are destruction spells. Then your buffed up (haste, chant, chaotic
commands on the main char [hold and stun protection] etc) party charges the
demon. A few ruffled feathers later, he should be dead.

- Bolt of Glory - 2 of those should handle most any demon. Possibly an extra
shot from the Rams ring and/or Melf's minute meteors. The reason all the
aforementioned work is because they ignore magic resistance (which the demon
has a plenty).

- Desperate measures (if you have to rely on this, then you aren't quite
ready to face demons yet) surround the demon with aerial servants and fire
elementals. They get stunned and slaughtered, but they have plenty of hp, so
you'll have some time before he turns to you. Now lower his resistance and
magic missile him to death (damn, this game would be a lot harder is some
monsters just bothered learning Shield)

- Slayer change. Also counts as desperate measures for handling one measly
demon, but it does the job quite effectively.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.3 } } } } Undead
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Turning Undead Strategies: (from Xander77)
--------------------------

Cleric undead turning is really awesome - much easier killing them of with
tanks. One turning - and the undead explode. What's even better then is an
evil clerics (I.E - Viconia) undead turning - you don't blow up undead, you
turn them to your side. Generically speaking, your cleric level is usually
more then enough to turn the weaker undead you're facing to your side.
Beginning with level 20 you can turn Liches to your side.

Now to my point. Turning undead DOES NOT interrupt invisibility. So you can
cast one level 2 spell (which lasts 24 hours) on Vicky, and have her run
around turning undead. Its really fun walking around with 20-30 undead
allies following you. No risk involved.

Vampire Fighting: (from Jeremy Treanor)
-----------------

I found that having two clerics (Viconia + Aerie, my first time through)
does absolute wonders in the vampire dens and other places where there are
undead creatures affected by sunlight. Two simultaneous castings of false
dawn knocked out every vampire that swarms around you. If they should
survive, they're still confused and more than a little vulnerable.

The Mace of Disruption and Vampires: (from Xar)
------------------------------------

In Chapter 3, get into the lair, get the Mace of Disruption and pull back.
Upgrade it with the Illithium. With the Mace +2 and a Helm of Charm
Protection (or similar), one character can clear the entire nest. (The
vampires will obligingly leave their door open while you spend a day or so
with Cromwell.)

Editor's Note: You get the Illithium as part of the "Sir Sarles" quest that
the Temple gives you.

Fighting Monsters who Level Drain: (mostly from Travis Archer)
----------------------------------

There are many types of undead that will "drain" your levels when they
attack. You may be a level 12 fighter, but that vampire just made you
into a level 10 fighter. This is easily fixed with a Restoration spell,
but there are some other consequences of level drain as well. When a
spellcaster is drained, they lose their higher level spells.

So, to protect against this: Memorize your most important spells first. That
way, they're the last spells to get level-drained. Examples of Important
Spells: Lesser Restoration, Raise Dead, Heal. This makes mopping up after
vampire encounters a lot less annoying. When you restore levels, spells are
not re-memorized, so don't forget to do this before you rest.

Negative plane protection, which protects from level drain, has a
disappointingly short duration, and having to memorize and cast it 6 times
before a fight is obnoxious, so I recommend that you do one of the
following:

1) Cast it only on your spellcasters (re-memorizing spells is annoying)
2) Keep your casters in the rear and don't cast it at all
3) Use limited wish instead to protect your whole party with one spell.
(best choice)

Lich hacking (from Xander77)
------------

- Sunfire. It's a shame that you can't have 2 daystars, since that option
doesn't hurt party members. Move your entire party except for the mage and
the guy with the daystar into the corner. Make sure that the guy with the
daystar won't be hurt with the mages sunfire. If possible, try to make sure
that both sunray and sunfire go of just as the lich appears. That usually
does the trick. If extra assurance is needed, then use ring of the ram before
the sunfire/sunray combo.

- Turn undead. If your cleric is level 20+ you can either blow up or control
the lich. This goes through all his protections. If you control him, either
use his spells against another enemy, or have him waste them into thin air,
then attack him.

- Annoying long way - have a bunch of summoned creatures mob the lich where
he first appears. If he manages to kill them all, summon a few new ones,
(better waste summon spells then to have him sling instant death spells at
the party). Now take your time while dispelling his protection. Ruby ray of
reversal, Khelban's warding whip (though if you have access to those, you
probably can just turn him with your cleric) breach, etc. Eventually he runs
out of protection spells and you can just pepper him full of bolts and
arrows. Cast a true sight before the lich appears, to dispel the
invisibility/mislead that he is sure to cast.

- Summoned creatures. Already outlined in this FAQ and my favorite strategy
for dealing with mages. Move your entire party, except for one guy, into the
corner. Put a summoned monster or 2 where the lich is supposed to appear.
Have the lich appear, talk to the char and turn hostile. Now have the char
run to the corner. The lich should turn up a few defenses, then fry the
summoned creatures. Then. it just sits there, waiting for its protections to
go out, because it sees no enemies on the screen. Wait a minute or 2, and
send another summoned creature in. If the lich's defenses have run out, he
should cast some new ones. Just keep doing this until he runs of out defense
spells (or, if you're extra cautious, until he runs out of major attack
spells) then charge him with your entire party. PS - Using a wizard eye or
farsight to supervise, make sure that the creatures gradually move him
towards the party. This strategy depends on the lich not seeing the party.

Note: The above works only if your summoned monsters keep the enemy well
away from the party.

- Stoneskin + Protection from evil + Polymorph self. Turn into a jelly and
just sit there. The lich's pit fiend can't hurt the jelly and the lich should
take care of him himself. The efreet's first few opening numbers are spells,
so you don't have to worry about that. If he hangs around long enough to run
out of spells and start attacking you physically (unlikely) just have your
party take him out. Your Stoneskin should absorb a few blows anyway. By the
time you Polymorph ends, the lich should run out of defenses and use up most
of his spells. Now go and kill him.

- Protection from undead - the lich doesn't even see you. Wait until his
protection from magical weapons runs out, and just wallop on him. The only
drawback is having to refresh the spell. If you have the protection from
undead amulet, then it's just unfair.

- Mace of disruption +2. Ignores all protections (even protection from
magical weapons) on a critical. Also known as BOOM.

- Lich in the in at the town gates - door skipping cheat. Run through the
door whenever he begins to cast a spell. The spell is wasted. Run back in.
Wash-rinse-repeat until he runs out of spells. Doesn't work in ToB.

Fighting against liches and especially against time stop. Use fog of war to
your advantage, hide in the "fog" and summon creatures to attack the lich
(don't follow yourself, only send your new minions). You won't be able to
see anything but you will get message at the bottom to know what's going on.
The Lich will waste some of its spells, usually wasting its Time Stop as
well. Don't cast all your summoning spells at once, Death Spell will get
rid of them all. (Max Chen)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.4 } } } } Dragons
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon slaying (from Xander77)
--------------

Luckily enough, most dragons in the game allow you to surround them and buff
up before taking them on, except for the lame black dragon and the even lamer
abyss dragon. They still alert you to their presence and give you time to
buff up, though.

Buff up and surround him is actually all you need, but here is a more
detailed game plan:

Note where the dragon is, and do the following just outside his sight (for
the shadow dragon specifically). Drink any potions you feel like drinking
(some stuff to raise your resistance to his breath weapon is good). Summon up
5 long-term monsters. Fire elementals (druid) invisible stalker, skeletons,
Killthix (the spider figurine). Cast protection vs evil 10 feet (most dragons
are evil, it will protect both you and your summons, and should last you
until the end of the battle and then some). Now get your personal buff spells
up: Stoneskin, Blur, Mirror image, Fireshield for mages. Ironskin, Barkskin,
Armor of Faith and maybe celestial protection for druids/clerics. You can
also do draw upon holy might/ strength of one, but I usually don't bother -
it does little good, and wastes one round of protection spells. Maybe a
Simulacrum from Vhailor's helm and a lesser restoration on it now. Now for
group buffing spells: Bless, Chant, Defensive Harmony for druid's clerics
(you should have 2 clerics/druids and 2 mages/sorcerers in the party). Haste
for the mages and maybe mass invisibility (level 6), and. that's it. The
preparations are over. (You should start casting the next spell as soon as
you're done with the previous, except from Bless Chant and Defensive
Harmony - those should be cast just before you run into combat)

Run up to the dragon and make 2 circles around him. One circle, which touches
the dragon - summoned creatures. One circle, which uses ranged weapons - the
party members. The point of this arrangement is to make sure that if the
dragon uses his breath weapon, he can't hurt more then 2 summoned creatures/
1 party member at the same time and to make sure that if the dragon uses wing
buffet on the summoned creatures he doesn't hurt your party members. Note:
The shadow dragon will cast a death spell on summoned creatures if he sees
them, so its best that they go into the 4 corners of the room while hugging
the walls, and converge on his location when you're ready to begin the
battle.

Now issue a formal challenge to the dragon (or not. Doesn't make much of
difference). Personally I prefer to challenge him when everyone has just
began casting their spells. Have everyone attack. The Dragon should go
Stoneskin + haste + greater malison + lower resistance to breath weapon
(btw - if your resistance if equipment based, you can get it back up by
taking your stuff off and re-equipping it) + (maybe) immunity from magic
weapons. You go: remove magic to handle the haste and the immunity to magic
weapons. Pierce magic to handle to Stoneskin and take his magic resistance
down. 2-3 Lower magic resistance. Now just magic missile him to death. (Did I
say that this game would be a LOT harder if monsters bothered learning
Shield?) You can add smite evil/silence/bolt of glory/lighting bolt and other
damage spells to the mix just for the hell of it, but magic missile is the
greatest dragon killer of them all (fireball happy guys - ice storms aren't
that bad of an idea. Especially since summoned creatures that get caught up
in the damage don't seem to turn hostile). When and if he manages to kill
some of your summoned creatures, take a moment to summon a few more. Make
sure that he's always boxed in between at least 3 monsters, and is therefore
unable to move up to one of your characters and attack her.

Note: You can, of course, have you fighters attack the dragon in hand to
hand. Makes it a bit more exciting and a lot more dangerous. Magic
missile-ing him to death is a lot easier. If you do go for the hand to
hand - good resistance to breath weapon is nice. So is improved haste
on your main dragon slayer. Make sure to surround him from several
sides, so that he won't be able to breath on 2 or 3 characters at
once. And when he blows you off the screen with the wing buffet,
consider it as a break in the action and take a round or 2 to fully
heal up.

That should handle any dragons in your path. The black dragon and the hell
dragon give you time to buff up and summon, but you can only form a
half-circle around them (try to get the summons to circle them, though).

PS - The greatest Dragon slaying tip I ever got, from Charlie Yeah Charlie:
Polymorph him. Ok, so it's the toughest squirrel you'll ever have to fight,
but at least he don't look so tough.

3 of the 4 Dragons (in SoA) have no resistance to electricity and even the
4th one is weak against it. This is where lighting bolt come in. Bounce it
off the wall a few times and watch their HPs go down. (Max Chen)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.5 } } } } Enemy Spellcasters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mages
-----

Mages have increased in power by LEAPS and BOUNDS since Baldur's Gate.
They're much more annoying now. Two spells in particular make them tough
to fight: Contingency and Sequencer. These allow mages to cast spells
almost INSTANTLY at almost any time. Then add in their new protective
magics -- Protection from Normal Weapons springs to mind -- and defeating
mages in Baldur's Gate II becomes much more difficult.

Mage does: Protection from Normal/Magical Weapons
Counter with: Breach (lvl 5)

Mage does: Shadow Door/ Invisibility AND Protection from Normal Weapons
Counter with: Purge Invisibility or Glitterdust or Remove Magic
THEN Breach

You cannot Breach anything that is invisible, so you have to get them
to be seen first.

Note: True Sight dispels any and ALL protections from the illusion school.
That's right, no more Mirror Images, Simulacrums or Invisibility!
(or thieves hiding in the shadows, for that matter)

Dispel Magic is more of a "clean up" dispeller to be used in sequence
with Breach. It usually takes care of whatever Breach doesn't,
leaving your enemy mage wide open. I like this spell for its
versatility (removing negative and positive status) but you're
better of using Remove Magic in sequence with Breach as you won't
end up removing your own protections, plus you'll want to save your
Dispel Magics when baddies start throwing out Maze spells.

Generally, Ruby Ray of Reversal gets rid of everything that protects
from spells while Breach takes care of anything that protects from
weapons and elements. (entire NOTE from John Winkleman)

I let my archers take care of mages most often, so countering their Globes
of Invulnerability is not a priority. A Spell Thrust could be used to cut
a Minor Globe out, however.

Two spells that work wonders against mages are Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
and Skull Trap. Don't target the mage directly, but drop the spell just
off to the side, this bypasses their direct protections, and can hurt
them pretty severely.

Summon Nishruu/Hakeashar
------------------------

Leo Wang recommends summoning Nishruu (and their higher level counterparts,
Hekaeshars) to deal with mages. Nishruu are mage-eaters for the most part,
as they are drawn to mages like bees to pollen. Magic attacks heal the
Nishruu and best of all, Nishruu cause mages to forget spells. Summoning
up these bad boys make the end game mages (such as Irenicus) pretty easy.
Nishruu are a 6th level spell, and Hakeashars are 7th.

Cyrille Artho doesn't think too highly of Nishruu's:

Just a comment about the usefulness of Nishruus and their "relatives": I
used them now and again vs. wizards, but did not like it very much when
one of my Imoen was charmed and turned against me (incidentally she had
summoned the Nishruu herself). What would the Nishruu do? After I killed
the enemy mage, it would "home" on Imoen. Until I had realized that and
disposed myself of the Nishruu, it had already eaten some magical items
(among them the Bracers of Protection!). That really pissed me off, and
I didn't use Nishruus anymore. Not to mention that they might also
degrade items that you would otherwise pick up after the battle.

Henning Roes has an interesting tip for fighting mages:

Normally the high-level mage casts heavy protections on himself and it
takes some time to take them down. In my second game I found a new
strategy to get rid of their protection-from-magical-weapons like mantle
etc: I used normal weapons in that case. I didn't do that in my first
game because I wanted enchanted weapons as much as anyone. So I never
thought about how useful non-magical weapons are.

Fighting the Cowled Wizards for Fun and Profit: (from JP)
-----------------------------------------------

You can't cast spells in Athkatla unless you want to face the Cowled Wizards.
And if you want to get them off your back you must pay Corneil at the Council
of Six building. I finished the game as a paladin (I imported my character
from Baldur's Gate) and then played it again as an Invoker. I didn't want to
pay Corneil the 5,000 gp because I saw the cowled wizards as a potential
source of both gold and exp. If you want to face off with the Cowled
Wizards, here's what I recommend:

1. Isolate your mage from the rest of your party.
2. Go to a spot anywhere in Athkatla (I did this near the archway in the
bridge district) where there are only a few people, lessening the risk
of killing someone accidentally.
2B. Drop a bit of Junk on the ground to mark this spot.
3. Cast a summoning spell, preferably summon nishruu. The "spokesperson"
for the cowled wizard should appear shortly after the nishruu
materializes. Don't expect the nishruu to do heavy damage. His only
purpose is to distract the cowled wizards from attacking you.
4. Don't wait for him to appear! Quickly walk away from him and then
attack him using your nishruu.
5. He'll say something short and three or four other cowled wizards will
appear to attack you.
6. Walk away until you don't see them anymore (or until they're covered
by the fog of war). Your nishruu will attack them and they'll attack
your nishruu.
7. Look for your Junk. It marks their position.
8. Wait for a few moments to let some of their protective spells expire.
You don't have to wait that long anyway. Cast shadow door.
9. Cast area effect spells like death fog, cloudkill, web, ice storm,
skull trap, etc. On the ground near where you last saw them. You can't
see them and they can't see you, but you know where they are, so use
that to your advantage.
10. Use multiple web spells if you have to so that they don't approach
you. In time, they'll all die and you get around 14000 exp. Search
their corpses for potions, scrolls and gems.

I did this a lot times and it paid off rather well. It's not infinite.
You'll eventually face a high level wizard, who will cast time stop and
summon a pit fiend. Before I could beat him he cast dimension door and
vanished.

The final fight with the cowled wizards will occur when their spokesperson
tells you that the highest members of their order have come to fight you.
To beat them, simply repeat the process I said about defeating them. But be
careful! One of them (her name's Zalladora, I think) can (and probably
will) cast two time stop spells at the beginning of the battle! Keep your
distance from them. When Zalladora is near death, she'll attempt to cast
her third time stop spell. If she does, she'll cast gate and summon a pit
fiend and cast dimension gate to get out. It's up to you if you want to
prevent her from escaping or if you want to fight the pit fiend instead.
Either way, if you survive, the cowled wizards will never bother your
spellcasting in Athkatla again.

Matt Warner has an easier way to cast spells in Athkatla:

I've just found a neat little way to rid yourselves of the
interference of the Cowled Wizards without paying the hefty 5000
gold bribe, or going through the effort of killing wave after wave of
wizards until they give up on you, though that will probably yield a
bit more treasure than my method. If you just want to be done with
them quick and easy, do this:

Have a mage cast any spell that will attract the attention of the
wizards, stoneskin or mirror image work well. Of course, so does
everything else but those spells are nice and non-offense.

A lone wizard will dimension door in to yell at you before bringing in
several more wizards to kill you. He'll have some kind of hefty
enchantment up (stoneskin?).

The *instant* he actually shows up (i.e. has the blue ring around
him), pause. Employ the fake talk strategy: Have someone talk to him
and unpause. Pause again (before anyone actually walks over and
starts talking to him) and force-attack him while he still has the
blue circle around him. You probably won't be able to hit him due to
his powerful protection spells, but this doesn't matter. Every 5
seconds or so, back off and fake-talk him again. As long as you keep
doing this, he won't go hostile and his friends won't gate in.

Within a short period of time, his spell wears off and he returns to
a more normal-looking color. He will now fall easily.

After this, no more wizards will show up and attack you for
spellcasting. Apparently, since he never gets to speak, the game
never triggers any more attacks since the first attack was never
completed. Since more wizards won't show up in the middle of a wizard
attack if you cast spells, this catch gets applied for the rest of
the game. This doesn't appear to screw anything up (it's just a flag
not getting set to "true", shouldn't affect anything else. Hasn't yet
in my game, anyway.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.6 } } } } Beholders
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beholder Tactics: (from Paul Dickinson)
-----------------

Beholders have interesting behavior patterns. If any party member
is visible (and hostile), a beholder will immediately start pelting them
with gaze attacks, cause wounds, slow, paralyze, petrify, or whatever.
If not too busy pelting party members with nasty magic, they will move
towards the nearest foe and chew on them. Note the distinction between
foe and party member. Beholders don't seem to want to waste their gaze
attacks on summoned creatures. This means that one can have a stealthy
or invisible party member observing (and thus allowing control of the
battle), while one or more summoned creatures trash the beholders, who
have really pathetic physical attacks. The moon dog figurine works
quite well here. It moves fast, can heal itself, and stays around for
long enough to kill quite a few beholders.

Berserkers: (from Xar)
-----------

Give the Cloak of Reflection or Balduran Shield to a berserker and then sit
back and watch. Why a berserker? Elder Orbs have Imprisonment and
Berserkers are immune while berserk. (Managed to complete the Underdark
Beholder zone with one character – Korgan)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII.7 } } } } Mind Flayers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invisible Stalker Strategy: (from Mishael)
---------------------------

An easy way to kill Mind Flayers is to summon a bunch of Invisible
Stalkers, then cast Haste on them. Invisible Stalkers are immune to all
sorts of Mind control spells including charm, domination and confusion. As
far as I know, they cannot be mind devoured. You may see some marks of
confusion on their head, but they are not confused. You can control them
as long as they are alive. :)

Archery Strategy: (from Jonathan Zimmerman)
-----------------

I wanted to share my battle strategy for the mind flayers in the Underdark.
I use both pairs of boots of speed on my two best bowmen, and cast chaotic
commands on them. I move the rest of my party off in a corner. The bowmen
pop into a room with the flayers and start shooting arrows. While the
flayers take time using their psionics, my fighters are pumping them full
of arrows. Once they try to close and drain your intelligence, just back
up and start firing again. They will never catch you. This works best if
you've cleaned out the entire city, up to the first door you need a flayer
to open. That way, you have plenty of room to run around. This strategy
does use a lot of arrows, though.

Editor's Note: Not if you have the Tansheron's Bow (from one of the
Merchants in Trademeet).

Bottleneck Fighting Strategy: (from Henning Roes)
-----------------------------

Only one spell (chaotic command) and one fighter are involved. Cast it on
your best melee fighter and he's protected from psionic blasts. This spell
lasts for a long time. Then give him the best AC (-11 does it). Since Mind
flayers have to hit your Fighter in melee they have to make a critical hit
to drain the fighters brain. Just slaughter them while standing in the door
so only one or two of them are able to attack. The INT-lowerance disappears
after a short time so there's no need for a restoration-spell. Ullithids
drain 4 or 5 levels (better than the usual Mind Flayer) - INT 5-6 is a
must. Don't care about the Umber Hulks in the Under Dark. Use them as a
shield while fighting and healthy. I finished the Mind Flayer City with
only 1 spell and some healing potions. Even in the sewers in the Temple
District it's very easy. Equip a shield to get a low AC. My fighter wasn't
hasted or othwerwise improved.

Kill Mind Flayers with Undead: (from James Victor)
------------------------------

Let someone cast Wizard's Eye and have it position itself wherever the
mind flayers are situated. Have your mages/clerics cast animate dead and
let the wizard eye guide them the way. Since animated skeletons have no
brain, flayer's psionics are useless and since mindflayers have weak stats,
they are easy to slaughter. For better results, have a cleric cast
Strength of One and another spellcaster cast Haste for better results. A
couple of batches of "enhanced" skeletons would do the trick.

Editor's Note: The Wizard's Eye doesn't do anything itself, it is simply
used so you can see where the skeletons are going. This
way you can keep your party well away from the battle.

Skeletons and Skeletal Warriors will still fall to Mind
Flayers, so send in as many as you can. Use the Project
Image trick if you need to. (Project Image, Animate Dead,
Animate Dead, etc., repeat

Mind Flayer Mind Control Collars: (from Travis Archer)
---------------------------------

Some SPOILERS ahead.

These devices are one-shot mind control items which never fail. Only 1 is
necessary to get to the Elder brain, maybe 2 if you're unlucky. Which
leaves 2 or 3 extra. These come in very handy in tough fights. These
devices make the most impossible combats _easy_. The mob stays under your
control until attacked. It won't leave the map, but it's still your pet
when you come back.

I used one on the Demilich, and one on Shangalar, because: The Demilich is
probably the single hardest opponent because he Imprisons at will. He's
immune to almost every spell, and he's beefy like an Adamantite Golem.
(Weapons do 1-5 damage depending on enchantment) With one of these devices
I made him my pet! On a funny note, you can make him Imprison himself, but
then you don't get his loot or experience. :( So, I used Freedom and then
just ambushed him while he was still "green". By the time he turned red he
was dead.

I used this on Shangalar and he wasted his buddies while I watched, then I
finished him off. (Wait until he gets all his defenses up before you use it
on him)

This can be used on Dragons as well, which is amusing as hell, but not the
Avatar of Rillifane who is immune to everything. :(

ToB Note: This strategy doesn't work in ToB.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI.8 } } } } Werewolves
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regenerating Monster Fighting: (from Jeremy Treanor)
------------------------------

I've found a lot of the battles with the monsters that regenerate quickly
(greater werewolf, the prince in underdark, etc.) rather annoying when you
can't seem to do enough damage to hurt him to 'barely injured', but I did
find one trick that seems to work consistently. Firstly, you need to knock
down some of its magic resistance. Cast harm and hope that your priest/druid
is good enough to make contact. (Having autopause when a weapon becomes
unusable helps too.) If you make contact, the creature should be down to
about 1 point, so you hit him with a magic missile. Since his resistance
should still be down, he should die.

===============================================================================
{ { { { { WALKTHROUGH } } } } }
===============================================================================

This walkthrough was written on my second go-through of the game. The first
time I played as a Kensai who dualled to a Mage at level 12. She was very
powerful, able to cast spells and fight all with a -5 AC (by the end of the
game). Not bad since she can't wear armor. The second time through the
game (when I wrote this walkthrough) I played as a Half-Orc Barbarian. 19
STR & CON, plus 2 extra HP each level. Then for fun he dual-wielded the
Celestial Fury Katana and the Equalizer Long Sword.

Location Note: Throughout the walkthrough I use various locations listed in
the (x 900 y 400) format. This means that what I am talking
about is 900 pixels from the left and 400 from the top. To
find your location press the X button on your keyboard. This
displays the x,y at the mouse cursor. You can change the
location key to anything you want by opening the Baldur's
Gate II Configuration Program in the start menu.

Battles Note: If you go somewhere at a lower level the enemies will be
easier than if you go there at a higher level. Say, for
instance, that you go to the Windspear Hills and fight an
Iron Golem. Then you reload before that, go level up a lot,
and return. Now you might be facing a tougher Adamantite
Golem. In other words, the battles are more difficult the
higher a level you are.

Options Note: There are a number of options that I would HIGHLY recommend
anyone playing the game use. First is the "Rest Until
Healed" option which lets your party rest until everyone has
full Hp's. It is implied that your Priest's cast healing
spells on everyone. This can be found under Game Options.
Second I would recommend turning the Brightness and Contrast
up a bit in Graphics options. Makes things a LOT easier to
find. Lastly, if you are constantly saving/reloading to get
more HP per level or to memorize spells successfully, you
should probably play at the NORMAL difficulty level. Those
things are the ONLY differences between NORMAL and CORE.

Note: Bioware/Black Isle recommends turning up the
Brightness on your monitor itself, rather than
in-game as low end computers can suffer from
performance problems. (Blackhawk)

Experience Note: When completing quests throughout the game, there are two
types of experience that can be given to your characters.
The first is when it says "The Party gains 20,000
experience". In this case, that experience is divided
equally amongst party members. So, if you have 5 people in
your party (including you), then everyone gets 4,000 exp.
However, there are times when it says "Edwin gains 20,000
Quest Experience Points" and may even list such for everyone
in the party. In these cases everyone gets that amount of
exp. Finally there are some times when it won't list in the
status window how many experience points you gain. I list
these, and will mention whether they are mere experience to
be divided, or whether everyone gets that amount.

Items Note: If you leave items on the ground in the game world, they will
(from the Readme) disappear after a period of time (with a few special items as
exceptions). Bodies will begin to decay from the world after
about half a day. Items will begin to decay from the world
after a day or two. Some game critical items will never
decay.

If you want to stash items, put them inside any container.
For example; a chest, bookshelf, or box. All container
contents (with the exceptions of piles of treasure on the
ground) are saved for the duration of the game - just be sure
you can easily return to retrieve your favorite goodies.

I would heartily recommend using the containers in your
Stronghold to store any item you wish to part with. For
example, with the Fighter Stronghold, every week you get 500
gold placed in one container in the library on the second
floor. Since you are going that way anyway, why not stash
items there? You can really put the items in any container,
just so long as you remember where you put your things.

Warning: Do NOT stash items in a stronghold BEFORE IT IS
YOURS. This is because the AREA number actually
changes, and your items become inaccessible.
Wait until you actually take possession of your
Stronghold.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. } } } } Chapter 1: Irenicus' Dungeon (AR 0602)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

The game starts as you are being tortured by a mage (Jon Irenicus, though
you don't learn his name until later) for no apparent purpose. He mentions
that you have much untapped potential.

Soon his experiments are interrupted when a Golem informs him of an attack.
He teleports away. You can watch as a Thief gets blown to bits. Funky.
Soon Imoen rescues you. She tells you what she knows, which isn't much,
before opening your cage and letting you out.

Companions:
-----------
S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
Imoen 9 18 16 17 11 16 Human Thief/Mage Neutral Good

Imoen is your old childhood friend from Candlekeep. In the first game
she was a Thief, and now she has dual classed to become a Mage.

SPOILER: Don't let Imoen memorize any spells as she won't be with your
party for much longer.

Minsc 18/93 16 16 8 6 9 Human Ranger Chaotic Good

Minsc is a little loopier than last you saw him. This may be due to the
death of Dynaheir -- whom he was sworn to protect -- but he seems to
rely far too much on Boo, his pet hamster.

Jaheira 15 17 17 10 14 15 Half-Elf Fighter/Druid True Neutral

Walkthrough:
------------

- FREE MINSC AND JAHEIRA

Minsc - (AR 0602, x 4030 y 2760)

You need some companions to help you out, and it's quite convenient to have
two of them just to the north of you. Go east and north and Minsc will
automatically talk to you. Tell him that you don't think much of his
talents to enrage him and get him to break the bars that hold him in.
(1,2,3,1) Minsc breaks free, and luckily enough, he realizes what you were
doing and doesn't stay berserked. You can have Minsc join you, if you will
(and I would). For freeing Minsc you get 3000 experience.

Jaheira - (AR 0602, x 3900 y 2675)

Getting Jaheira out requires only a little more effort. First go north and
talk to Jaheira. (4,2) Agree to free her. Now you just need to find a key
to free her. Go left into the room there (x 3250 y 2850). There are three
containers in this room: a table with weapons, a chest with armors and a
TRAPPED painting with potions. The key to free Jaheira is on the table
(x 3050 y 2815). Freeing Jaheira nets you 3000 more experience.

- EXPLORING THE DUNGEON

The next thing you need to do is to go back to the northern room and equip
everyone with the items there. Have Imoen de-trap the painting to get
those treasures as well:

Dagger +1
3 Healing Potions
(If you imported from BG1 with the Golden Pantaloons, they'll be here)

Talk to the Jailkeep Golem (x 2950 y 2850) and pump him for information.
He won't attack you and you have no possible way to damage him yet. He
won't reveal much to you, just leaving you with more questions than before.

Note: If you want to kill the Jailkeep Golem, have a Priest use the
spell Spiritual Hammer and attack him with that. He is worth
5000 experience.

Open the northern door (x 2865 y 2815). Go north a ways to find your first
enemy of the game, a lowly Smoke Mephit (420 exp). There's nothing you can
do in this passage, so go back to the torture room.

Head into the southwest passage (x 3315 y 3235). There your character will
note the many bodies in the hall. Continue.

- THE LIGHTNING MACHINE

After the passage turns north, there will be a big glowing Lightning
Machine (x 2650 y 3160). What this does is spit out Lightning Mephits,
which shoot Lighting Bolts at you. (naturally) To deactivate the machine,
click on its control panel twice (once to see what it does, and another
time to do it). (x 2835 y 3060) Also, you MUST be standing RIGHT NEXT TO
the machine to turn it off. You get 2000 exp for doing so. Turning it
off immediately means you won't get experience for fighting the mephits.
Don't worry about losing a few hit points, you'll get healed by the genie
in the next room.

Note: Most "manipulatable" items like the Lightning Machine require 2
clicks. The first tells you what the thing is, and the second
actually uses it.

Then just kill the Mephit (420 exp) and be on your way. Go northwest
into the Crystal Room.

- AATAQAH THE GENIE

Almost immediately you will be confronted by Aataqah, a genie. There are
several options on what to do with this fellow. If you talk to him he will
want to ask you questions. If you answer that you will "Push the Button"
he summons an Ogre Mage (650 exp) for you to fight you also get 3500 exp.
If you answer to NOT "Push the Button" he summons Gibberlings. Or you
could ignore him and he'll leave you alone. Beat his monsters and he tells
you to seek out Rielev.

Note: There are three pools of water in this room. Clicking on each of
them several times will result in several different "visions".
These offer you nothing but an interesting read.

The northern passage leads to a locked door, so we go west (x 1450 y 2660).

- FINDING RIELEV

In this western passage you will be attacked by goblins. Goblins are super
weak enemies, who can only hurt you with their bows. Rush their archers
and they're done for.

This passage ends in a threeway fork. We're going up and right (northeast)
first. (x 890 y 2200) Within this room we find another Golem, this time a
Sewage Golem, along with a Radiation Mephit (420 exp). Talk to the Golem
and impersonate its "master". Try and tell it to get to work (to open that
door we passed by) and it informs you that you need a certain GEM to get it
to do anything. (Technically, you can just pickpocket it to get the Sewer
key, however this loses you some experience later) There are four
containers in this room: the center table, another table and bookcase to
the left, and a chest to the right:

Spells - Flame Arrow (Mage)
Dispel Magic (Mage)
Healing Potion
3 Potions Extra Healing
5 Arrows
War Hammer
Spear
Medium Shield
2 Scimitars
Long Sword +1

We're done in here, on to the lower left room (x 600 y 2400). In here
there are a lot of tanks, though you won't find out what these are until
a little later. There is a Steam Mephit (420 exp) in here. Shortly Imoen
will pipe up about this place. At the end of this room is an Ice Mephit.
There are three containers in here: a crate (x 675 y 2705), a barrel
(x 825 y 3045) and another TRAPPED crate (x 1033 y 3025):

1 Gold
5 Arrows
Short Bow
6 Bullets (for a sling)
Quarterstaff +1

We're done in here for the moment, now into the last corridor (x 580
y 2280). There is a door (x 520 y 2000) here, but there's only a couple
lesser Clay Golems in it. They won't attack you... yet. If you want you
can fight them now, but you're better off waiting.

Clay Golem Note: When fighting Clay Golems use BLUNT weaponry. Bladed
weapons have no effect, but Blunt weapons work as
normal. Clubs, maces, morningstars, staves, etc.

Further along the corridor splits again, one end leading to a door, the
other to goblins. Kill the goblins first, then go open the door (x 1010
y 1745). There is only one Tube in here, walk up to it and Rielev will
talk with you. If you agree to help "free" him and the others in the tube
he gives you a Crystal so that you can talk to the Tube-people and you also
get 4000 experience. Search the table (x 1280 y 1585) to find the Sewage
Golem's Activation Stone. There is also a barrel (x 1275 y 1400):

2 Healing Potions
Sling
8 Bullets
Halberd
War Hammer

Go back to the Sewage Golem, impersonate the Master again and give him the
Activation Stone. You get 3000 experience, and he runs off to open the
center doors. You can then go back to the Tube Room and use the crystal on
every tube that you can. (not necessary)

- THE LIBRARY

Back to the corridor along to the next door (x 1040 y 1085). Open it and
enter the library. In here there are goblins, a Smoke Mephit and a Fire
Mephit. Most of these bookshelves hold only books, but some have more.
The shelf at (x 950 y 760) has an:

Agni Mani Necklace

The shelf at (x 850 y 850), which is the next one to the left, has:

Spells - Larloch's Minor Drain (Mage)
5 Healing Potions

The shelf at (x 1050 y 820), the one to the southeast, has:

Spells - Know Alignment (Mage)

The shelf at (x 1450 y 820), which is eastwards, has:

Oil of Speed

And the last shelf (x 1650 y 950) has:

Potion of Extra Healing

Now we have two choices on which direction to go, and we're going to take
the south and east passage to the sewer section first.

- THE OTYUGH

Take this passage all the way into the next room, which is the sewer area
for this dungeon. You will find an Otyugh here, which has the annoying
tendency to Disease and Slow your people (650 exp). Search its body to
find the:

Wand of Frost Key

This is the first of several keys like this. Others include the Wand of
Missiles Key and Wand of Cloudkill key. These are used on the next level
of this dungeon. The passage to the left is filled with goblins and leads
to the Crystal Room, and the passage down leads back to the Torture Room.
Neither place we want to be.

There are three openable chests in here, all around the stairs to the
northeast passage. Open them (x 2725 y 2735), (x 2735 y 1810), (x 2900
y 1880): (one is TRAPPED)

Spells - Vocalize (Mage)
Clairvoyance (Mage)
Splint Mail
Oil of Speed
7 Potions of Healing
Light Crossbow
10 Bolts
Helm of Infravision

Open the northeast door (x 2815 y 1725) and go up that passage. Kill the
goblins and go through the door at the end of the tunnel.

- IRENICUS' ROOM

There are three traps in this room, one on the carpet and two on the
containers in here. There are four containers in here around his bed and
fireplace: 2 Bookcases, a chest and a drawer:

Spells - Chromatic Orb (Mage)
Burning Hands (Mage)
Helm of Balduran (+5 HP, +1 AC) **
Wand of Lightning Key
Air Elemental Statue
Metaspell Influence Amulet

** If you imported from BG1, this item could be one of these (depending
on what you had): (Carl Pettersson)

Default HELM07, Helm of Balduran (it's this if you didn't import)
MISC72, The Claw of Kazgaroth
MISC73, The Horn of Kazgaroth
RING25, Koveras' Ring of Protection

Go east and later south to find the Dryads. They beg you to help them, so
agree to it. At the moment, however, we head south into the next chamber
(x 3500 y 2150). Be sure to check for traps here, as there are many.
When you enter the room an alarm goes off that sends those Lesser Clay
Golems out this way. There are four containers in here: a drawer north of
the bed (x 3075 y 2210), a chest at the foot of the bed (x 3110 y 2300), a
bookshelf south of the bed (x 3010 y 2390) and a table east of the shelf
(x 3170 y 2470):

Spells - Monster Summoning I (Mage)
Dire Charm (Mage)
Potion of Extra Healing
Bracers AC 8
Pommel Jewel of the Equalizer (part 1 of 3 Equalizer parts)
Portal Key (which allows us to leave this level)
Potion of Master Thievery

Go back to Irenicus' Room. Right now we have everything we need to
complete this level and go on to the next. However, there are two more
quests to complete (see Quests below) and some more rooms to explore.

Go northwest into the Portal Room. Here there are many more goblins to be
slaughtered mercilessly. There are a couple of containers here. A vase
(x 3120 y 820) and a barrel (x 3344 y 810):

Spells - Armor (Mage)
Fireball (Mage)
20 Bullets

When you are done with this level, enter the Portal to go to the next one.
(You can come back at any time until you leave the dungeon)

You may want to do some of the quests below first.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Free the Dryads

Dryads - Irenicus' Dungeon (AR 0602, x 4141 y 1370)
Fairy Queen - Windspear Hills (AR 1200, x 4050 y 3050)

This quest is really divided into two parts, one we can do now and
the other we must do later. The first part is Getting the Acorns.

From the library take the northwest passage up. It then turns
right and then south. This leads to a room with 6 Duergar in it:
Ilyich (fighter), 2 fighters, 2 crossbowmen and a mage. Search
Ilyich to find the Acorns. The rest of the Duergar have piddling
treasures such as Gold. There are also a number of containers in
this room, with a spell and some Potions of Extra Healing. (and
some non-magical equipment.) Take the Acorns back to the Dryads
to learn what you must do with them. They tell you to take the
Acorns to the Windspear Hills and give them to their Queen. For
this you get 9500 experience.

Ilyich's Armor is one of these things: (Carl Pettersson)

Default CHAN03, Mail of The Dead +2 (if you did NOT import)
LEAT03, Protector of the Second +2
PLAT02, Plate Mail +1
LEAT06, Missile Attraction +2 (CURSED)
CHAN07, Chain Mail +3

You can't get to the Windspear Hills at the moment, but you will
once you exit this place. Go to the Copper Coronet in the Slums
and talk to a man named Jierdan there. (Warning! Jierdan's quest
is difficult and annoying, so you may want to do this later!) He
has a quest for you to do, and updates your map to include the
Windspear Hills. Then you have to travel to the Gate section of
Athkatla, and from there you can exit and go to the Hills. You
will find the queen in the southeast part of the map. Give her the
Acorns to free the Dryads. You get 32,500 experience and 9750 exp.

QUEST: Free the Genie

Plane of Air Door (AR 0602, x 1967 y 264)
Genie (AR 0601, x 310 y 560)
Dryads (AR 0602, x 4141 y 1370)

Just north of the Duergar chamber, where we killed Ilyich to get
the Acorns is a door. The key to this door is the Air Elemental
Statue that we got from Irenicus' chamber. Open the door and enter
the Elemental Plane of Air.

There are many, many different types of Mephits in this area. Be
cautious, some have nasty powers.

Go north along the path. Take the first left (x 1720 y 1300) and
follow this path all the way to the left to a big giant fan. Just
under the fan is a container full of treasure:

Spells - Conjure Air Elemental (Mage)

Go back to the first path, and then head north. Fight your way
through the Mephits here to get to the path to the left. At the
end of this path is a lamp. Manipulate the lamp to talk to the
genie. He offers you a trade, you free him and he gives you an
item of yours. All he needs is a Flask.

Note: Gunslinger points out that you could just Pickpocket the
Genie to get the Sword he carries. You may need to use
some potions of master thievery, but it is possible.

Leave this place and go find the Dryads. Talk to them to get the
Flask from them, then return to the Genie and give him the Flask.
For your trouble you get 15,000 experience and a Two Handed Sword
of Chaos +2.**

Note: The dryads will NOT give you the flask until you have gained
the acorns.

** If you imported from BG1, you may get a different item:
(Carl Pettersson)

Default SW1H24, Two-Handed Sword of Chaos +2
HAMM03, War Hammer +2: 'Ashideena'
AX1H07, Bala's Axe
HALB03, Halberd +2: 'Suryris' Blade'
DAGG04, Dagger +2: Longtooth
STAF07, Staff Spear +2
STAF06, Staff Mace +2
SLNG03, Sling +3
SW1H06, Long Sword +2: 'Varscona'
BLUN11,
BLUN10, The Root of the Problem
BLUN09, Kiel's Morningstar

QUEST: Kill a Cambion

Cambion (AR 0602, x 2600 y 1030)

Past the Duergar chamber and the Plane of Air door (careful of the
trap in the passage) is a room with a weird machine, and a Cambion
trapped in a bubble. Get close to the machine and manipulate it
two times to free the demon. Kill it and steal its treasures:

Cambion - 6000 experience
Bastard Sword +1
146 Gold
Chainmail Armor

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1 } } } } Irenicus' Dungeon Level 2 (AR 0603)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When you arrive here, Yoshimo comes up and talks to you. He can join with
you and you probably should take him. Further he offers some advice as to
what you will face on this level, what traps and so forth.

Companions:
-----------
S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
Yoshimo 17 18 16 13 10 14 Human Bounty Hunter True Neutral

Yoshimo, feared by all, somehow managed to get himself captured and
thrown into this dungeon with the rest of you. Why Irenicus would be
interested in him is beyond me.

Walkthrough:
------------

- MEPHIT PORTAL ROOM

Just left of the Portal (x 315 y 2875) is a small box with:

Spells - Hold Person (Mage)

Open the door to the right (x 885 y 2820) to enter the Mephit Portal Room.
Here you will battle many different Mephits. Also there are four big
portals that must be destroyed (fight them as enemies) to keep more Mephits
from teleporting in. Each Mephit Portal is worth 5000 experience to
destroy for a total of 20,000 exp!

On a table is a body, and when Jaheira gets near it she realizes that it is
Khalid, her husband. And he's quite dead. She is distraught over this for
a time, but refuses to try to raise him. (something about it being
unnatural)

Note: If you are "insensitive" to Jaheira here, she will leave forever.
By "insensitive" I mean, repeatedly telling her to try to raise
Khalid.

There are 6 containers in this room, bookshelves, barrels, tables and
chests. (x 775 y 2650), (x 875 y 2650), (x 1040 y 2515), (x 1260 y 1350),
(x 1420 y 2520), (x 1350 y 2580):

Ziose Gem
Andar Gem
Cursed Scroll of Weakness
40 gold
Gold Ring
2 Extra Healing Potions
Wand of Cloudkill Key
Wand of Fire Key
Wand of Summoning Key
Bastard Sword
5 Arrows
3 Bolts +1
Silver Ring

We now have almost all the keys we'll need. There are two doors along the
northeastern wall. Open the left door (x 1125 y 2375) and go in. Here is
yet another Tube Room, where an assassin is fighting an escaped clone. She
kills the assassin and turns on you (there's nothing you can say to avoid
a fight). Kill her.

Escaped Clone - 1250 exp
Wand of Missiles Key
Dagger

There are 2 searchable barrels in here, with such things as a Fireball
spell and a Pearl Necklace. Return to the Mephit Room, and open the last
door (x 1300 y 2230).

- THE GREAT WAND TRAP

Along this passage you find an assassin fighting an Ice Mephit. Kill the
Mephit and the assassin turns on you. Not very thankful since you just
saved his life! Kill him for 750 experience. Continue up the passage.
There will be a group of goblins with a Mephit just before the door to the
Great Wand Trap (x 560 y 1390).

There is a trap on this bridge, disarm it, cross and go through the next
door. There is an assassin here facing off against several Duergar. The
assassin gets himself killed by the Great Wand Trap. And if you wait long
enough the Duergar will kill themselves the same way as well.

Along the left wall are several columns. Sneak up to these columns and
manipulate them. One of your keys will vanish and be replaced by the
appropriate Wand (with only one charge). Even better is the fact that part
of the trap is disarmed making this room a little safer to traverse.
Disarm all 6 columns and the room is safe.

Note: If you find that you are missing one of the keys, it's usually the
one from the Otyugh on the previous level.

The statue at the end of the hall (x 2000 y 350) has a Ring of
Protection +1.

From this point there are four passages out of this room (not counting the
one we came in from). The passage nearest to the entrance on the right
leads to the exit. The other three lead to monsters and treasures and are
covered in Quests below.

- ESCAPING IRENICUS' DUNGEON

Once you're done with the other passages (assuming you did any of them),
go down the first passage on the left (x 1380 y 1125).

The next room (x 1750 y 1750) has an assassin in it who talks to you, but
there is no way to avoid a battle here. Beat the 4 or 5 assassins and
swipe their gold. Leave this room to the southeast.

This is a part of the sewer system of Athkatla. Follow it northwards to
the exit at (x 3450 y 1415). I would make an Archived Save here as you
can't come back once you leave.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Doppleganger Passage

Go southeast along the middle passage on the right (x 1740 y 900).
Open the door into a storage room. A little further south you will
see a fat old man in a glass cell, Frennedan. He talks to you and
begs for you to release him. Agree to do so. (If you refuse to
help him, he turns into a little boy!)

Search the storage room. There are three containers, a TRAPPED
bookcase at the top of the room (x 2500 y 1200), a TRAPPED chest
to the left (x 2240 y 1340) and a normal locked chest under that
(x 2240 y 1400):

Frennedan's Key (in the trapped chest)
Spells - Invisibility (Mage)
Knock (Mage)
5 Potions of Healing
4 Elixirs of Health
1 Potion of Firebreath
Scroll of Protection from Electricity

Once you have the key, open the cell and let Frennedan out.
There are two times when Frennedan will attack you, at a set amount
of time from being freed and at a set range from his cell. So,
no matter what he will transform and attack you. May as well kill
him now. (3000 exp)

Search his cell for more treasures. There are 5 containers in
here, two bookcases, a TRAPPED chest and two tables:

Spells - Color Spray (Mage)
Blindness (Mage)
Blur (Mage)
4 Bolts +1
4 Arrows +1
6 Bullets +1
2 Potions of Extra Healing
Oil of Speed
Cursed Scroll of Foolishness
101 gold

QUEST: The Vampire Passage

The vampire passage is easy to find as it is the only door on the
left side of the Wand Trap Room. (x 1330 y 590) Open the door and
go in.

There is a battle between assassins and a Vampire going on here.
Kill the vampire to get 8000 exp (though you should notice that she
simply turns to mist and flies away). Any surviving assassins
must also be killed. There are no treasures in here, but 8000 exp
isn't bad.

QUEST: The Duergar Passage

Head southeast down the farthest passage (x 2085 y 640). There
will be a group of goblins in the middle of a forge room. Go
northeast from here to find a group of Duergar, including one mage.
Kill them. There are 4 containers in here, a small box to the left
(x 3375 y 630), two chests on top of each other (x 3585 y 685) and
a big table to the right (x 3550 y 825):

Spells - Charm Person (Mage)
100 Gold
Dagger (after this, such things are listed as "Minor Treasures")
2 Extra Healing Potions
3 Potions of Healing
80 Arrows (Minor Treasure)
Short Bow (Minor Treasure)
40 Bolts (Minor Treasure)
7 Bolts +1
Heavy Crossbow (Minor Treasure)
Splint Mail (Minor Treasure)
Mace (Minor Treasure)
Chainmail (Minor Treasure)
Girdle of Bluntness (AC +4 vs. Blunt weapons)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. } } } } Chapter 2: Waukeen's Promenade (AR 0700)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

You emerge from Irenicus' dungeon to find Irenicus himself battling with
several shadow thieves. He easily bests them. Imoen then tries a magic
missile out on Irenicus. It doesn't do much and looks like you might be
captured again. Then the Cowled Wizards arrive and battle Irenicus.
Although he might have beaten them, he decides to go with them... if they
take Imoen as well. This starts Chapter 2 and everyone in your party gets
34,500 experience.

Companions:
-----------
S D C I W Ch Race Class Alignment
Aerie 10 17 9 16 16 14 Elf Cleric/Mage Lawful Good

Aerie is a winged elf. Well former winged elf as her wings were removed
some time ago. She had been a slave before meeting up with Quayle and
joining the circus.

Location: The Circus (See below)

Event: 3-5 days after you get Aerie, a messenger will arrive from Quayle
telling her to return to the circus. Once there, Quayle merely
tells you to talk to Raelis Shae in the theatre beneath the Five
Flagons. Aerie will naturally complain if you don't go visit
Quayle, however.

Walkthrough:
------------

- GATHER INFORMATION & ALLIES

Talking with some of the people nearby will net you some information on
where Imoen might have been taken by the Cowled Wizards.

What you need to do now is increase your strength in three ways:

Experience for more levels.
Companions
Items

Generally speaking most of Chapter 2 is just running around doing Quests
trying to get Gold and Experience. This area only really has one good
Quest (The Circus Tent & Aerie below), but it also has the best shop in the
game, the Adventurer's Mart.

When you're ready, leave this area and go to the slums.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Circus Tent & Aerie (AR 0600, 0604, 0605, 0606)

Giran (AR 0700, x 2790 y 1550)
Circus (AR 0700, x 2975 y 1525)

Just a little southwest of where you appear in this area is a big
circus tent. If you talk to Harrold and Fearghus around here you
can discover that something is wrong with the circus. Talk to
Giran just to the left of the entrance and he'll complain about his
mother being inside the tent and not coming out. Go to the
entrance and convince the guard to let you in. Go inside.

You will be met by a Genie who wants you to answer a riddle to
cross the bridge. The answer is (3) The prince is 30 and the
princess is 40. Answering correctly gets you 19,500 experience.
If you fail that riddle he asks another, to which the answer is
(6) Nothing. Answering the second riddle gets you only 14,500 exp.
Failing that riddle he will attack you. (5000 exp) Enter the
giant dome.

Once inside an Ogre named Aerie will tell you to flee this place.
Pump her for information if you will. Then go left to the spider,
then north until you find the two peasants. They will attack you.
Kill them (they are Orcs, actually). One of them has a Friends
spell, the other has a Sword. Take this sword over to Aerie to
restore her humanity. For this you get 18,500 exp, and she'll
offer to join you.

Go north and talk to the Pleasure Slave. She offers no useful
information. Go up the stairs (x 1067 y 390).

On this level there are werewolves and shadows. Kill the shadows
if you want, but ignore the werewolves, they are illusions and will
not give you any Experience. The werewolves can't hurt you unless
you attack them. Search the two vases on the sides of the
staircase to find:

Spells - Web (Mage)
Protection from Petrification (Mage)
Dispel Magic (Mage)

Go near the stairs (x 920 y 260), where a genie talks to you again.
He offers to let you rest on this level. When you're ready go up
the stairs to the final level.

Ignore the other enemies here, some are illusions, and concentrate
your attack on Kalah himself. Once he is dead the illusion dies
with him and you'll be back in a regular circus tent. (2000 exp)
Listen to his little rant and you get 25,000 exp. If you didn't
restore Aerie earlier then Quayle asks to let Aerie travel with you
permanently, which is totally up to you. Search Kalah's body:

Spells - Stoneskin (Mage)
Identify (Mage)
Infravision (Mage)
Magic Missile (Mage)
Stinking Cloud (Mage)
Girdle of Piercing (+3 AC vs. piercing)
Ring of Human Influence (Sets CHA to 18)
Garnet Gem
724 Gold
Minor Treasures (bullets, sling, flail)

Talk to the woman, Hannah (x 100 y 300) at the left of the tent.
This is Giran's mother. She'll rush out of the tent. You get 500
experience from her. Go outside and talk to Giran again to get
2500 more experience. Talk to the Amnish soldier to get a
Reputation Increase (+1).

MISC: If you talk to Harrold again, he and his wife are both
thankful (although at night she seems to disappear). Also
if you talk to Fearghus again he will leave and
theoretically go back to the circus.

QUEST: Cernd's Child

Cernd's Former Home - Promenade (AR 0700, x 1900 y 1830)
Fennecia's House - Promenade (AR 0700, x 1800 y 900)
Deril's Estate - Government (AR 1000, x 3500 y 2650)

Note: You pick up Cernd in Trademeet, and you get to Trademeet
by talking to the man in the City Gates area.

Enter any of the major city districts with Cernd in the party and a
man will come up and talk to Cernd. It is a former neighbor and he
has lost all respect for Cernd. It seems that when Cernd left his
former wife, she was with child and Cernd never knew this. This is
quite upsetting to him and he wants to go visit with his former
wife, Galia. If you aren't in Waukeen's Promenade, get there.

You will find Cernd's house just left of the Adventurer's Mart.
Enter. You find a squatter living in Cernd's house. He will
(eventually) tell you that Galia has moved in with some "bastard"
but he offers no more details than that. Go up to Fennecia's
House, which is higher up on the wall. Enter.

Talking with Fennecia she tells Cernd that Galia is dead. Send
Cernd out of the house and talk to her again. She fills you in on
the rest of the story. Shortly after Cernd left, Galia moved in
with a noble named Deril. He treated her badly. Eventually she
died in mysterious circumstances, and Cernd's son is likely to be
raised to be evil like Deril.

Go to the government district and find Deril's Estates. Enter.
Cernd convinces Deril's Golem to get Deril (although he kills the
golem for the interruption). You then have to choose how to react
to things: Threaten him with the guards, threaten him with an
attack, do nothing, or just attack him. If you simply threaten him
he will hand over the child (although they will reappear in 3 days)
Or you could attack him. He is a mage and brings in a Lich to help
him.

Deril - 26,000 experience

Lagole Gon - 26,000 experience
Cernd's Baby

Take the child and Cernd seems happier. Cernd gains 50,000
experience and the party gains 20,000 exp. Cernd then takes off
with the boy to the Druid Grove. If you want Cernd back all you
need to is head out to the Grove and pick him up again.

OTHER: The Horns of Valhalla (modified from Max Chen)

Silver Horn of Valhalla - Bridge (AR 0500, x 2985 y 750)
Madeer, Shopkeep - Promenade (AR 0700, x 1875 y 2066)

In the game you will find the Silver Horn of Valhalla, which
summons a level 5 Berserker Warrior for a short duration. (The horn
is found in the Bridge District, in the house by the fish seller)
This is great and all, but there is a way to upgrade this horn to
two better ones. What you need is the Horn, a Diamond and a
Beljuril. (you can obtain a Beljuril from Umar Hills, see the
Chicken's Gem quest)

Talk to Maheer (he isn't labeled as such) just southwest of the
Adventurers Mart with a diamond and the horn in your possession.
Ask him about what types of things he sells, and whether he does
anything "special." He'll mention that he does indeed make a fair
horn. If you have the diamond and silver horn on you he offers
to make you the Bronze Horn for 2000 gp. The Bronze Horn can
summon a level 7 Berserker Warrior. If you have the Bronze Horn
and a Beljuril he will upgrade the Horn again for 5000 gold.

This creates the Iron Horn which summons a 9th level Berserker
Warrior who will fight for you for one minute.

OTHER: Night Guild War

This won't necessarily happen here, but during the night you can
see the Shadow Thieves and Vampires battle it out for supremacy.
You can take sides in these battles if you want, just force-fight
whichever side you don't like. Bear in mind that Vampires take
magic weapons to hit, and at this point you only have the Two
Handed Sword +2 (Chaos Sword).

Also, if you join the fight AGAINST the vampires, then you won't
be able to find Bodhi in the graveyard later.

OTHER: Ribald's Ring of Regeneration

If you successfully pickpocket the owner of the Adventurer's Mart,
Ribald, you will get the spiffy Ring of Regeneration (1 HP every
6 seconds). (from Steotia)

OTHER: Sleep in the Street

Who needs an Inn? Not us, that's for sure. Simply set the option
to "Rest until Healed", then when you are in the street hit the
REST button. Instant Inn. Free too. This doesn't always work,
but usually does near the circus.

OTHER: The Town Crier

Whenever you find a Town Crier you can listen to their little
stories, or you can insult them. Nothing else comes of this, no
new quests.

OTHER: Promenade Containers

Although there are many searchable containers in this area, not a
single one of them has ANYTHING in them. So don't bother looking.

OTHER: Belmin Gergas, the Elf Hater

Belmin - Promenade (AR 0700, x 1115 y 950)

If you talk to Belmin with an Elf in your party he spouts off some
stupid prejudice. That's pretty well it UNLESS you have Viconia in
your party, in which case he attacks you. If you kill him you lose
reputation, and not only that, everyone around will attack you as
well!

Trick: Let Viconia talk to him. Make sure that the party AI is
turned off before that. He turns hostile, and the nearby
guard attacks him. At this point you can either try to
get the guard to hold him back while you run out of
sight, or move everyone out of sight and have Viconia
cast sanctuary on herself. The guard should kill him now.
Kudos - you've just rid the world of a racist bastard and
lost no reputation for it. (Xander77)

OTHER: Mencar Pebblecrusher

Seven Veils (AR 0700, x 3325 y 430)
Mencar (Second Floor of the Seven Veils, AR 0712, x 300 y 240)

On the second floor of the Seven Veils is a band of mercenaries led
by none other than the infamous Mencar Pebblecrusher. When you
first meet with him, he insults you. If you respond in kind you
will get into a fight. Don't do that, instead calm him down.

Note: If you talk to Mencar with Korgan, he'll immediately
attack you.

Now get ready for a fight. Cast every protection spell you can
(Haste is especially helpful!). Then position your people
strategically around the room. The idea is to assassinate several
of his goons before they even start attacking you. Take out the
mage first if you can, then the imp. I also used Hold Person to
keep Mencar from doing anything. Brennan Risling will attempt to
flee if he gets hurt. If you trap the room, remember the traps
will all trigger at once, usually all hitting whomever turns red
(hostile) first. Thus, if you want the traps to all hit Mencar,
you should shoot him with a bow. I also once used a thief/mage to
drop Cloudkills in the room, then duck around the corner and Hide
in the Shadows.

Mencar - 10,000 experience
Full Plate Mail
Potion of Fire Giant Strength
89 Gold
Hammer +1
2 Potions of Extra Healing

Smaeluv Orcslicer - 4000 experience
Hide Armor
Flamedance Ring
42 Gold
Cursed Berserking Sword +3

Sorcerous Amon - 6000 experience
Potion of Extra Healing
Wand of Lightning
Cloak of Non-detection
Minor Treasures

Pooky (Imp) - 4000 experience

Brennan Risling - 4000 experience (flees if damaged)
Studded Leather +1
Ring of Invisibility
Short Sword +1
Oil of Speed
Potion of Invisibility
2 Potions of Extra Healing
Minor Treasures

Note: The Cloak of Non-detection is supposed to protect your
invisible characters from being revealed. This doesn't
work that way, but it does protect your hidden thieves
from being found out. Invisibility granted from items
is also protected by the cloak. (with thanks to Andrew
Scarvell)

There are three chests to be searched, one of which is TRAPPED.
These net you some minor treasures.

OTHER: The Fence

Jayes - Promenade (AR 0700, x 4880 y 1850)

Steal something and need to sell it? At night, go to the far right
side of the promenade to find Jayes, the thief. He'll buy your
stolen goods. And, if you are in a really thievery mood, you can
steal directly from him, and then sell him his own goods back to
him. I drank a Potion of Master Thievery to get my pickpocket
skill up to 175 (I also had the Gloves of Pickpocketing from the
upper floor of the Copper Coronet), then just stole the Chain
Mail +2, and sold it, stole and sold, stole and sold, and so forth.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.1 } } } } The Slums (AR 0400)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When you first enter the Slums a thief by the name of Gaelan Bayle
approaches you. Hear him out and follow him to his home. He represents
an organization that may help you out, for a price. 20,000 gold. That's
a tidy sum of money. He offers some advice as to how to make some money,
and depending on your class will direct you to your appropriate stronghold
(i.e. a Bard to the Five Flagons). This also begins chapter 2, and you
can watch as Imoen and Irenicus are sent to Spellhold by the Cowled
Wizards.

Companions:
-----------

Anomen 18/52 10 16 10 12 13 Human Fighter/Cleric Lawful Neutral

Anomen may not be a Paladin but he is deeply involved with the Order of
the Radiant Heart. He believes in Law over all other concerns, making
him neither good nor evil.

Found at: Copper Coronet (Slums)

Upgraded: B (see Anomen's Quests below)

Korgan 18/77 15 19 12 9 7 Dwarf Battlerager Chaotic Evil

Although his alignment is listed as Chaotic Evil, Korgan is more Neutral
Evil than anything (mercenary type that he is). Korgan is always on the
lookout to make a buck, no matter the cost (of lives).

Found at: Copper Coronet (Slums)
If kicked out: Will be at the Copper Coronet, but requires a Bribe to
rejoin you.

Nalia 14 18 16 17 9 13 Human Thief/Mage Chaotic Good

Event: A week after clearing the De'Arnise hold, if you are in a city,
a messenger will arrive telling her to go to the Graveyard.
(more information can be found on this in section 2.3 De'Arnise
Hold)

If she leaves: If you accept her quest, but don't do it right away, she
will leave on her own. You will then find her near the
De'Arnise Hold in a wooden palisade (SW of the Hold).

Walkthrough:
------------

- RAISE MONEY FOR GAELAN

Now we have a purpose to our lives, gather enough money to get Gaelan's
friends to help us. The set amount is 20,000 gold. Getting this gold is
a matter of following the various Quests throughout the city, which also
conveniently get you Experience and Items at the same time.

Once you reach 15,000 gold you will be immediately confronted by two
different people, a woman and a boy. This represents a slight split in the
game as you must choose which side to play. The major walkthrough ends
here for the moment, and picks up again in section 3. The Guild War
(Chapter Three). From here until there is almost exclusively devoted to
Quests.

Go outside and talk to Brus and he'll direct you to your Stronghold Quest.

Fighters -- } Nalia in the Copper Coronet
Priests -- } New Cult in the Temple District
Mages -- } Cowled Wizard with a Quest in the Government District
Rangers -- } Boy complaining of monsters at the Government District
Paladins -- } Lord Jierdan in the Copper Coronet
Thieves -- } Shadow Thieves at the Docks
Bards -- } Playhouse beneath the Five Flagons at the Bridge
Druids -- } Man at the City Gates has a problem at Trademeet

Finally, throughout this chapter there are three dream sequences that
occur randomly when you sleep.

Quests:
-------

OTHER: Fight some Brigands near Copper Coronet

Brigands - Slums (AR 0400, x 3100 y 2130)

Just to the right of the entrance to the Copper Coronet are a duo
of not so bright brigands, Cohrvale and Bregg. They attack you
before realizing you are fully armed and dangerous. Take them out.
They are worth 6000 and 4000 exp each.

QUEST: The Mystery of the Copper Coronet

Entrance to Coronet - Slums (AR 0400, x 2470 y 2250)
Lehtinan - Coronet (AR 0406, x 410 y 1215)
Hendak - Coronet (AR 0406, x 2685 y 500)
Beastmaster - Coronet (AR 0406, x 3550 y 2000)

Enter the Copper Coronet, and talk to the owner and proprietor of
the place, Lehtinan. (If you need to rest, talk to his associate,
Bernard) Ask him about ways to "spend a coin", and about his
other types of entertainment. This will allow you to visit the
back rooms. Open the door near Anomen at (x 1400 y 1480). A guard
in here will welcome you to the "exclusive" entertainments offered
here. Turn right and open that door. A man here talks to you
about the Pit. He tells you all about the slavery, fighting, and
so forth that goes on here. Go further down the passage to see a
fight.

Note: It may be weird, but if you just go up and kill Lehtinan,
not only are there no negative consequences, but Bernard
starts acting like Hendak took over, and begins selling
the new stock of items!

Go back to the guard, and go up the north (x 1600 y 1370) passage.
Be prepared for a fight. There will be two secret doors on the
left. One leads to a pillowed room, the other to a set of stairs
to the sewers. Ignore it for now and continue to the end of the
passage. There's no way to avoid conflict with the 5 guards here
(2 mages), so kill them quickly.

Go near the center cell to talk to Hendak, the gladiator. Agree
to free him and he'll tell you that the Beastmaster has the key.
Go to the southeast end of this room, and open the southern door
(x 2720 y 875). This leads you past the gladiator pits (complete
with a violent winter wolf to kill) to the area where the monsters
are kept. There you will find the Beastmaster with his pet tiger,
Tabitha. He opens up all the monster pens to let them at you.
Kill the Beastmaster: (2000 exp)

Beastmaster Key
Spells - Stone to Flesh (Mage)
Plate Mail
Tuigan Bow +1 (3 Shots per round)

Kill the other monsters if you wish. Return to the cells, open the
non-Hendak cells first for some (5000) experience. Then go to
Hendak's cell with the key and free him, this gets you 7500 exp.
Hendak is rightly pissed off about his recent situation and runs
off to kill Lehtinan. Follow and help out (clearing out the guards
and whatnot). Don't worry, Hendak won't kill Lehtinan until you
get there. (on an interesting side note, Nalia will join the fight
against the guards even if she isn't in your party) When Lehtinan
is dead you get 48,750 experience.

Tim Lou has an alternate way to free Hendak:

After you talked with Hendak, you can head back to Lehtinan and
tell him that Hendak is a slave in prison. Lehtinan will give
you the key of the cell and asks you to kill Hendak for him.
You can agree for the time being. Then you go back to free
Hendak and you decide let him go (Tell him that you get the key
from Lehtinan and pretend to kill him) or kill him for
Lehtinan. By this way, you don't need to deal with the
beastmaster and get the cell key (Although the beastmaster is
not a tough guy).

Editor's Note:

If you wanted to do both methods, you could kill the
Beastmaster first, then skip Hendak and talk to Lehtinan. You
can get a reward of a Plate Mail from Lehtinan when you tell
him about the escape attempt. Then he'll give you a key to
deal with Hendak.

Evil Note:

If you do what Lehtinan suggests and kill Hendak, then you get
420 experience for killing Hendak and a reward of Bastard
Sword +1, +3 vs. Shapeshifters from Lehtinan. (Oh and your
Reputation drops 1 point) By the way, you would get that item
later anyway when you freed the slaves.

Hendak asks you to help free more slaves (see "Free the Slaves"
below), agree to do so. Search Lehtinan's body:

Spells - Summon Nishruu (Mage)
Death Fog (Mage)
Gems
1287 Gold

Also, Bernard now gives you a discount on his items.

QUEST: Free the Slaves

Entrance to Sewers - Coronet (AR 0406, x 2070 y 660)
Entrance to the Slavers - Sewers (AR 0404, x 2900 y 2500)
Exit to the Slums - Slave Galley (AR 0405, x 750 y 1900)

Remember that set of stairs we skipped by earlier? Go down them.
While you are down here, you might want to do the Sentient Sword
Quest (described below). Go through the sewers until you reach
the exit (x 2900 y 2500). This is the back entrance to the Slavers
Compound (the beached ship in the Slums).

You appear in the middle of a good deal of enemies. Don't wander
too much around this area during your fight, as there are TRAPS
that can kill you. Also new guards can come in from other areas.
Once this fight is over, search the Captain's remains for:

Haegan's Key
Studded Leather Armor +2
Potions
Minor Treasures

There is also a box of gems here (x 1815 y 1330). Open the door to
the northeast (x 2136 y 1205), kill the two trolls in here and talk
to the slave girl. If you give her 100 gold you get 3500 exp and a
Reputation +1. Go back.

Now go up the little steps to the northwest (x 1720 y 1066) and
into the hallway. On each side of the passage are cells with
slaves in them. Free them for 2500 exp. Go into the room to the
northwest (being ever mindful to check for TRAPS, of course).
There are 3 containers with minor treasures here. The next room to
the north has several Yuan-ti in it, as well as some minor
treasures (Arrows, Gold, Spells, etc.).

The next room to the south has the Slaver Mage in it, and provides
a bit tougher battle. The slaver wizard has a Cloak of
Protection +1 on him. The rest have mostly minor treasures. There
are two containers in the north of this room with some good
treasures (Spells, Rings and such). Careful, the chest is trapped.

Then just go southwest (careful of traps), then southeast. Ignore
the side room. There will be three shelves here, the trapped one
in the middle has a sling. Also there is a barrel left of that.
(It has a spell and some gold) Just past that is the exit to the
Slums. (x 750 y 1900)

Return to Hendak to get your reward: 38,000 quest experience per
character, Plate Mail, Bastard Sword +1 +3 vs. Shapeshifters,
Reputation +1 and 3900 gold.

QUEST: The Sentient Sword (Lilarcor)

Hand - (AR 0404, x 515 y 950)
Ring - (AR 0404, x 1640 y 850)
Staff - (AR 0404, x 2360 y 1300)
Blood - (AR 0404, x 2330 y 2722)
Quallo - (AR 0404, x 2240 y 2760)
Sword - (AR 0404, x 2790 y 1790)

From the Coronet entrance, head south. Clear out the Hobgoblins
here, then go west (x 900 y 650). There will be an Otyugh here,
kill it. (5000 exp) In the center of this little room is a grate,
(x 515 y 950) click the grate twice to get the first object, the
Hand.

Back into the main passage, and head southeast. This leads to a
small room. On the north wall are two skeletons pressed together.
Click them twice to get the Ring. (The stairs to the NE lead to a
Myconid area, but there is no real reason to go that way) 0418

Go down the southwest passage, and follow it to the little bit of
water. The little bridge is trapped. Go north up the water until
you reach the kobolds (x 2360 y 1600). Kill them to get the Staff.
That leaves just one object left.

ShirouKyoji has a different way to get the staff:

Talk to the Kobold Shaman after reading the clues, and choose
option number 3. Then, choose option number 1. Then, choose
option number 4. I *KNOW* It says to offer 2000 gold pieces,
just do it. Then, choose option number 1. The other Kobolds
will get mad and kill him. Then, you can loot the 2000 gold.
Tada! Plus, you get to hear some funny Dialogue.

Go back south, cross the bridge and go southeast (x 1835 y 2000).
At the fork, take the southern path until you find the odd little
man, Quallo (x 2240 y 2760). Talk to him to try to learn
everything you can. Then kill the Carrion Crawler there to get
its blood, the final object. We now have everything we need.

Go up the northern passage (x 2275 y 2790), through the enemies
until you reach the Pipe room (x 2666 y 1915). The Glowing Pool
has a few things to say, but if you're reading this then you don't
need to care.

There are four pipes in this room, corresponding to each of the
items. We will number the pipes from top to bottom, with the top
pipe being pipe number 1. Double click each pipe in this order:

Pipe 3 (Hand)
Pipe 1 (Ring)
Pipe 2 (Blood)
Pipe 4 (Staff)

Do that and the Sentient Sword will appear and everyone gets 18,000
quest experience points. Lilarcor (its name) is a Two Handed
Sword +3, with immunities to Charm and Confusion. If you talk to
Quallo after this, it turns out that he was charmed himself, and he
will leave.

QUEST: Nalia's Quest (Fighter/Barbarian Stronghold)

Nalia - Coronet (AR 0406, x 900 y 1500)

Nalia is one of two people who walk right up to you and ask for
help (the other being Anomen, who doesn't really want help).
Anyway she wants your assistance in helping clear out her ancestral
castle of monsters. Agree to help her. Let her join if you
wish it. (It's usually better to have the person whose quest you
are working on with you) You will then have to leave the city.
So, first go to the City Gates and from there exit to De'Arnise
Hold.

This Quest is continued in section 2.3 De'Arnise Hold.

QUEST: Korgan's Quest

Korgan - Coronet (AR 0406, x 1850 y 960)
Crypt - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 640 y 1830)
Pimlico Estate - Temple District (AR 0900, x 4315 y 1015)

Talk with the dwarf near Surly and listen to his tale. He wants to
break into a crypt and steal a book found within. This book will
then be sold to a book dealer for a great profit. Agree to his
proposal and let him join you. To the graveyard!

There are many entrances to this crypt, but the one listed above
works best, I think. Open it and descend into darkness.

One of the pots to your right has a Mislead spell. Enter the
passage (being doubly sure to check for traps, of course). There
is a trapped chest in the passage here, and another one just before
the passage ends. These chests have spells and other minor
treasures. The second one also has some Wooden Stakes. Makes you
wonder what is done here. You don't need the stakes right now, but
feel free to take them.

Going right you'll have to contend with some spiders. Take them
out and go right. There's another group of spiders here along with
some Ettercaps. North of here is the Spider Queen (no, not Lolth,
see Quests in the Graveyard section), and to the south is the crypt
we want. (x 2750 y 3250)

This is a large Egyptian looking chamber, with a figure of a woman
on the floor (who is trapped). Also, when you step on a certain
spot, all the doors fling open and release many nasty undead.
These guys will drain your levels, stats, or disease you. There
are four traps on the figure, 2 on the eyes, one on the necklace
and another on the hand.

Search for the secret door in the bottom corner (x 900 y 800).
There are more traps within this passage, as well as more undead,
mummies and the like. This passage then forks, with a passage
going right and another continuing south. At the fork, there is a
pot with some treasure (x 533 y 1290). Go right (checking for
traps, of course) and click on the coffin at (x 815 y 1325). This
releases its occupant who doesn't like you. Kill it. It has a
spiffy spear on it. Further right are a group of mummies and
ghasts and past them is a small room with treasure. Nothing great,
but it's better than nothing.

Back at the fork, this time go south. Be careful to search for
traps, there are three between you and the next room. Within this
room are mummies and a big already looted coffin. Korgan notes
that the tomb is looted (11,250 exp). Kill the mummy there and
Korgan comes up with a plan of action to get the people who looted
this tomb ahead of you. He wants to hurry to the Temple District
to the home of the Book Dealer (whose book was in the tomb). There
are two pots in here with very minor treasures.

Leave the crypt and go over to the Temple District. Go to the
Pimlico Family Estate (just past the Temple of Lathander). As you
approach, Korgan tells you that the place has been looted (you took
too long, even if you came right here that was too long!). Go
inside anyway. Despite what Korgan said there are a few gold
pieces laying about. Take Korgan into the bedroom and he'll
mention that this looks like the work of Shagbag, who can probably
be found on the roof of the Copper Coronet. (8750 exp)

To the Slums! The stairs that lead to the roof are at (x 1530
y 2815). Go up the stairs until you find Shagbag and his party.
(5000 exp) Korgan has some words with them and a fight breaks out.
Search Shagbag's corpse to find the Book of Kaza. The only thing
that remains is to sell it (to any retailer).

QUEST: Anomen's Murdered Sister

House Delryn - Government District (AR 1000, x 4300 y 2175)

About a week after you gain Anomen in your party, a messenger
approaches him and tells him to return home as his sister has been
murdered. This quest may influence whether Anomen can become a
Knight later, which increases his abilities.

Go to the Government District, Anomen's home. The Delryn Family
Estate is the large orange building south of the Council building
(by quite a bit). At the door the guard tells you of how tense
things are between Anomen and his father. Enter. You will find
Cor Delryn, Anomen's father, in the kitchen. He accuses Anomen of
letting Moira -- his sister -- get killed. He then says that the
only way for Anomen to make this up to them is to avenge her by
killing those responsible.

You must advise Anomen on what to do: 1) Kill Saerk out of
vengeance, 2) seek a legal resolution to things, or 3) Kill Saerk
for the money. Convince Anomen not to kill Saerk, and then tell
him that perhaps his father's quest for revenge has tainted his
judgment (10,500 exp).

Go to the Government Building and talk to Bylanna there. She says
that there is insufficient evidence on Saerk to convict him of
much of anything. Again Anomen looks to you for advice. Convince
him to let bygones be bygones for (7500 exp).

From the time you talked to Cor, you have 10 days before Anomen's
next quest begins.

QUEST: Anomen and the Knights of the Radiant Heart

Radiant Heart - Temple District (AR 0900, x 3300 y 3400)

Note: This quest can be delayed if you are in a romance with
Anomen.

10 days after the completion of Anomen's first quest (dealing with
his sister's death), if you are in the city, Sir Ryan Trawl will
approach Anomen. He tells him that it is now time for Anomen to
take the tests of knighthood.

Go inside the Order of the Radiant Heart and the Judging will
begin. Whether Anomen is accepted as a Knight depends on how
you solved his Sister's Quest. If you sought out the non-violent
solution, then Anomen is a Knight, otherwise he is not.

Anomen's Wisdom is increased to 16 and his name changed to Sir
Anomen. The party gains 10,000 experience and Anomen gains another
50,000 experience on top of that. With the increased Wisdom he
also gains +2 1st and 2nd level Priest spells. Have Anomen speak
with Sir Ryan Trawl. (nothing much is said)

QUEST: Jierdan's Quest (Paladin Stronghold)

Lord Jierdan - Copper Coronet (AR 0406, x 725 y 1400)

Within the Copper Coronet, you will find a man in fiery red who
offers you an outrageous sum of money to do a minor monster
fighting quest. He wants some ogres cleared out from his holds
near the Windspear Hills. He marks it on your map. Leave the city
and head out to the Windspear Hills. (on a side note, the voice of
Jierdan is provided by the same person who did Minsc)

This quest is continued in the Windspear Hills section below.

OTHER: Amalas' Duel in the Coronet

Entrance to Coronet - Slums (AR 0400, x 2470 y 2250)
Amalas (70 hp) - Coronet (AR 0406, x 1090 y 1870)

In the southern end of the Coronet is a group of three idiots led
by Amalas. (near Korgan) Talk to Amalas and insult his honor.
Beat him one-on-one to get 1800 and 9500 exp. Then you can tell
his lackeys to take a hike. Only the main character can duel with
Amalas, so if your main character is a Sorcerer (or whatever) you
will have a more difficult time with it.

If you free Hendak and the slaves before dueling, Amalas will
vanish.

OTHER: Mazzy and Gorf (from Vladislav Brkic, and a number of others)

Copper Coronet - Slums (AR0406, x 200 y 1400)

I was selling some goods to Bernard in the Copper Coronet, after
which I left through second door. Outside an Ogre pit fighter
called Gorf the Squisher started talking to Mazzy and said how
halflings don't know how to hit. Then he started hitting some
commoner and talked to Mazzy again and challenged her to a duel in
the Copper Coronet pit. When I entered the Copper Coronet Mazzy
talked to pit manager Surly and he sent us to talk to Gorf's
girlfriend Bunkin. After that I then talked to Festule the
Alchemist (same area x 915 y 1240) and bought a potion to disable
Gorf for 400gp. He also said to try giving it to Bunkin. Then I
talked to Bunkin (x 1200 y 1820), complimented her and she
complained that Gorf never does that, so I gave her Festule's
"love" potion and said that it will solve her problem (for this
the party gained 11,500 exp).

Then Gorf arrived and said that his ale tasted funny but still
entered the pit. Mazzy killed him easily (2500 xp). Then she said
something like "Virtue has won again" and party received another
5000 exp.

OTHER: Dog Fighting

Surly - Coronet (AR 0406, x 980 y 1800)

Talk to Surly and for 10 gp you can set up a Dogfight. You get
20 gp if you win, although Good party members seem to be upset by
this.

You can kill Surly with no penalty (250 experience).

OTHER: Gloves of Pickpocketing (from Snark)

Gloves - Coronet (AR 0406, x 750 y 610)

In one of the rooms at the top of the stairs, the room with the
retired pickpocket, you will find a trapped table with the Gloves
of Pickpocketing.

OTHER: People around the Sphere

Waylane near the Sphere tries to sell you the sphere. (it's even
more amusing when he tries to sell it to Yoshimo or Viconia)
Another fella wants to worship the sphere, a woman lost her home to
the sphere and a landowner thinks he owns the sphere.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.2 } } } } Between Areas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While traveling between areas in the city (or between city and country)
there are two major events that happen. The first is that you are attacked
by slavers who have some interesting objects on them:

Spells - Minor Globe of Invulnerability (Mage)
Vampiric Touch (Mage)
Domination (Mage)
Shocking Grasp (Mage)
Magic Missile (Mage)
Flame Arrow (Mage)
Plate Mail +1
Arbane's Sword +2 (short sword)
Potions
Gold

The second is more serious. You encounter a group of thugs killing a guy.
Kill the thugs and talk to the guy. Agree to help him. Now you have to take
him to the Docks. (This is covered more in the Docks section)

These aren't the only between area conflicts, but they are the only
noteworthy ones.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.3 } } } } De'Arnise Hold (AR 1300)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- LIBERATE DE'ARNISE HOLD

If you're here, then there's only one thing to do, and that is to attempt
to clear out the De'Arnise Hold. This can be done whether you are a
Fighter/Barbarian or not, although only they gain possession of it later
as their Stronghold. In order to even be here, you must have talked to
Nalia. If you didn't join up with her, or if she left, you can find her
in the Palisade (x 770 y 3225).

Nalia tells you that you are fighting Trolls and Yuan-ti (although she
doesn't know those by name). Which means that you will want Flame/Acid
based weaponry. Talk to Captain Arat, and as you are about to say
goodbye to him he gives you some Flame Arrows (see Quests below for a way
to get infinite Arrows off of him). Once you are done there, it is time
to enter the De'Arnise Hold.

Leave the palisade, and go northeast a little until you find the Secret
Entrance (x 1300 y 2750). It is a secret door, so having a Thief do
Find Traps could help you find it. Open it and go inside.

- THE SECRET PASSAGE (AR 1302)

There's nothing in this first room. Nalia simply reminds you of your
goals in here, find Daleson and open the Drawbridge. Unlock then open
the only door.

This room has 2 containers with treasure (neither are trapped nor
locked):

Spells - Agannazar's Scorcher (Mage, to kill trolls of course)
Potions
Bullets
Light Crossbow of Speed
Heavy Crossbow
Arrows +2
Bolts +2

Open the next door. This leads to another secret door (x 600 y 1400),
which is actually inside of the De'Arnise Hold (we were in the secret
passage before that). Open the secret door.

- DALESON

A Troll is in this room and he kills the servant here. You don't really
have a shot at saving him. Kill the troll (being sure to hit it with
Fire or Acid when it falls down). Search the table (x 850 y 1265):

Spells - Protection from Normal Weapons (Mage)
Bullets +2

There is a secret door on the northwest wall (x 700 y 1230), open it to
find Daleson. This guy provides all sorts of information about what you
are facing, who you must save, the relic of the Keep (the Flail of the
Ages) and where you need to end out (in the "cellar"). If Nalia is with
you then she does most of the talking.

- THE SECRET FORGE & THE FLAIL OF THE AGES

Go into the room that Daleson was in. There are 2 containers in here
with mostly minor weaponry, although you will want to take the magic
arrows here (and possibly the magic long bow).

There is another secret door in the northwest wall (x 410 y 933). At the
end of this passage is another secret door which leads to the Secret
Forge of the Flail of Ages. There are three pieces to the Flail of Ages.
Whenever you get one, bring it to this forge to add it to the whole.
It can exist just fine with one, two or all three parts. There is a
chest here with some minor treasures. (x 560 y 400)

Search the northeast wall for another secret door (x 630 y 380). Just
past that is another secret door. Search the lion statue (x 950 y 175)
to find:

Flail Head (Cold, 1 of 3)
Ring of Earth Control (AC +1, Summon Earth Elemental, Control E.E.)
810 gold

- LOOTING THE MAIN FLOOR

Go back to Daleson's Room and open the (normal) door. Directly in front
of your party is the main Eating Hall, but it isn't important.

Drop south and east. There is a chest here (x 1430 y 1370): (TRAPPED)

Dagger +2
450 gold

The room at (x 1325 y 520) has some very minor treasures in it. The only
worthwhile treasure is found on the bed near the bathroom, which has a
couple of spells (Protection from Normal Weapons and Breach). However,
if you go from there and open up the door to the bathroom, you can find a
Star Sapphire in the toilet (x 1765 y 500).

The next room southwards (x 1835 y 885) has some minor treasures to be
found on a fish (x 1790 y 675) and it has a stove. If only you had
something to cook. Hmmm... seems that Daleson mentioned feeding some
great beasts. Now, what did he feed them...

- MAKING DOGMEAT STEW

Yeah, that's right. Go out the door (x 1950 y 1140) to the exterior of
the Keep. Kill the Otyugh (5000 exp). Then track down and kill the four
family dogs and take their "dog meat". Pleasant. Go back inside and
operate the stove to create a thick, meaty stew. (The main character
must have all 4 meats on him in order to make the stew) For this you get
11,500 experience.

- OPENING THE DRAWBRIDGE

Go back outside. Then find the stairs (x 2175 y 1640) and go up that
until you are on the Keep's walls. Ignore the door for the moment.
There will be an ice troll on the wall. Kill it and keep going. You
will find the switch to open the Drawbridge at (x 2833 y 1840). Click it
once to open. For this you get 29,750 experience.

Go back to the main level (keep on ignoring that side door). There you
will see Humans battling it out with Giant Trolls and Greater Yuan-ti.
Join the battle if you like (good experience). Then go back into the
main door to the keep. The battle continues inside, but once these
trolls are beaten, the guards leave.

- LOOTING THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE KEEP (AR 1303)

Open the door at (x 2000 y 1050) to get to the stairs. Another servant
gets whacked in here. Go up the stairs.

Nalia provides some more information on what needs to be done here. She
recommends finding her auntie's bedroom and finding the secret passage
that leads to the cellar. (Why would the cellar be connected only to the
second floor anyway?) In this room are 2 containers with treasure,
although the only good thing is the Spell Turning spell.

Open the southeastern door (x 2100 y 1000) and enter that passage. The
side room here has some minor treasure. Open the southwest door
(x 2075 y 1425) to enter the Library. In here you will find one
mini-troll, a big troll that becomes two smaller ones when killed, and a
Yuan-ti mage. Take out the mage first. The stairs here lead up to the
roof (which is where that door we ignored goes as well, there's nothing
up there worth looking at). Search the 3 bookcases here:

Keep Key
Spells - Conjure Lesser Earth Elemental (Mage)
Minor Spell Turning (Mage)
Bolts +1

Since the western door cannot be opened, that leaves only the southern
door (x 1730 y 1650). The first room along this passage has 1 container
with minor treasures (Detect Illusions, 20 Arrows, etc.). Go along down
to the second door to find the Lady of the Keep. She isn't too impressed
with you. Eventually she'll go away. Remember this room, as we'll be
coming back here in a moment (we have more looting to do first).

Continue to the end of the passage and open the door (x 375 y 1035).
Continue through this room into the next passage. Kill the Ice Troll.
This passage eventually goes all the way back to the library. Ignore the
northern door for the moment, and open the southern door (x 1550 y 630).
Search the Fireplace: (TRAPPED)

Wand of Frost

There is a Secret Door on the southeast wall (x 1480 y 830). Follow this
passage all the way to what looks like a dead end. It isn't. Open this
secret door and enter a small room. There are 2 chests in here with
mostly minor treasures (although the spell Spell Thrust is nice). Detrap
the next door and go in.

Within this room is a former guardsman by the name of Glaicas. There is
a non-violent way to end this, (see below) but only if you have Nalia in
your party.

Glaicas - 9500 exp
Flail Head (Acid, 2 of 3)
Full Plate Mail
Potions
Gold

Non-violent Solution: (from Sergio Le Roux)

In the de'Arnise Hold, in the secret room where Glaicas is located,
you have to charm him to "normalcy". But there's a bug with the game:
a couple of seconds after you charm him, he turns blue for about 1
second, then turns green again. So, basically, your own charm spell
is interfering with the script that would lead to him talking to
you.

If you want to save him (and earn 22,550 xp), you have to time it
right so that when you charm him (he turns green) one of your attacks
will hit him (this must happen BEFORE he turns blue). He will turn
red again... pause the game and make sure you stop all your
characters! He will continue being hostile, but then the script will
kick in. He'll talk to you and give you the last part of the flail.

There is absolutely nothing in the next room, so go back out.

- THE GOLEMS

Go back to the Lady's room and search for traps until the secret door
(x 833 y 1033) shows up. This leads to a very small room with nothing in
it. There are two secret doors from this place, one to the west and one
to the north. Open the west one and go in.

This is what I like to call the "Golem Chapel." Depending on what level
you are on you face different Golems. If you are a high level then you
are facing the tough Adamantite Golem. I, however, faced an Iron Golem.
At the end of this chamber are three Statues that can be searched for
some pretty good magical items. However, when you take those items, you
WILL be attacked by some of the golems. So, naturally, the best strategy
is to kill the golems BEFORE taking the treasure. If you don't have any
+2 or better weaponry, you might want to go take the treasure first so
that you have weapons that can harm them.

One odd way to kill the golems in this room is to drop Cloudkills on
them and shut the door. Wait. Repeat as needed.

Remember, if you're frustrated you could always use my patented "fake
talk" strategy. Move your fighters into position (only the ones with +2
weaponry, or weapons that have extra damage). Adamantite Golems require
+3 weapons or better to damage (Lilarcor, the Hammer in this very room,
Melf's Minute Meteors, etc). Then PAUSE and "talk" to all the golems.
Then press F2 and have your fighters attack one golem. Unpause. Wait 5
seconds, pause again and repeat. Doing this you can avoid getting
attacked at all.

Note: Remember Clay Golems need to be hit with Blunt Weaponry. The
Flail of the Ages works well. Stone Golems need piercing
weaponry. And the only weapon I had that affected an Iron Golem
was Lilarcor, the Sentient Sword.

Trick: It's also possible to get the treasure without fighting the
golems at all. I just had Aerie cast "Sanctuary" on herself
before filching the weapons (all the other characters were in
another room). As stealing the items isn't counted as a hostile
action, the spell prevents the golems from acknowledging her
existence. I think they're still activated, though, leaving the
option to fight them available if you so wish (they just won't
chase after Aerie). Swift 'n' sweet. (from SpookyScarecrow)

Also, you can take the Flail part without the golems attacking
you. You can even look in each of the statues to see what is
there, as long as you don't take anything you won't be
attacked.

Once the golems are gone you can search the three statues at your
leisure:

Flail Head (Fire, 3 of 3)
Axe +3: Frostreaver (extra Ice damage)
Elven Court Long Bow +3
War Hammer +1, +4 vs. Giants

Then you can open the other secret door and descend to the Cellar, I
would, however, finish the Flail of the Ages first.

- FINISHING THE FLAIL OF THE AGES

Go back to the Secret Forge and use it with all 3 heads to create the
completed Flail of the Ages. Oh, and you get 22,350 experience as well.

Note: If you wait to finish the Flail until AFTER you take control of
the Stronghold (if you are a Fighter type character) then you
get NO Exp for finishing the Flail.

- THE CELLAR (AR 1301)

Back upstairs, open the other secret door and descend into the Cellar.

There are three containers in here, most of which have merely minor
treasures in them (magic arrows are fun). The TRAPPED chest at
(x 875 y 265) has a:

Shield Amulet

Open the door and go into the next Troll-ridden room. There's a new type
of troll here, called the Spectral Troll. Search two of the Iron Maidens
at the top of the room to get an Identify Scroll.

The next room is crawling with Umber Hulks. To prevent your entire party
from being Confused and Slaughtered, send only one person in and have
that person protected from Confusion (Mind Blank, Chaotic Commands, or
have the Sentient Sword equipped, the Barbarian Rage command also works).
Then draw the Umber Hulks into the previous room where they can be cut
down. There are 4 containers in here, with mostly minor treasures, but
some things stick out:

Orc Leather +3 (-1 CHA)
Bullets +2 and Bullets +1

Now I bet you're wondering what we're doing with that Dog Food. I know
you are. Enter the southwestern passage (the one that is already open)
and open the second cell door (x 850 y 1280). There is a tunnel here
that searches like a container. It has some dog bones. Put the Dog Food
here to get 18,750 experience.

Note: If you want to avoid the Umber Hulk battle all you have to do
is have someone sneak past them (invisible or hiding in shadows)
and place the Dog Stew in its place. The Umber Hulks will then
run out of the room to feed. But you can place the Dog Food
there whether you have already killed the Umber Hulks or not.

Through the northeastern door (x 2000 y 770) is the BOSS of this area,
TorGal. TorGal seems to indicate that he was hired by someone to kill
the Arnise family here. But who would do such a thing? Before you can
find out you have to fight. You have to fight TorGal and his Giant Troll
cronies. Many people like the spell "Cloudkill" here.

TorGal - 15,000 exp
Minor Treasures

Then search the pedestal under the statue:

Spells - Feeblemind (Mage)
2126 Gold
Gems & Necklaces

Leave the Keep and Nalia will give you your reward: 10,650 gold and
45,500 experience. Anything past this point is part of the Fighter's
Stronghold Quests (and covered in the Strongholds section at the end of
the walkthrough), and so if you are not a Fighter, you won't get it. In
fact, if you aren't a fighter, Nalia can't stay here and the Keep will be
seized by the Roenalls.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Nalia's Father's Funeral

This Quest can only happen AFTER you have cleared out the De'Arnise
Hold AND Nalia is in your party. A week must pass after the reward
for clearing the Keep is given. Then if you are in a city, a
messenger will arrive and tell you to go to the Graveyard for her
father's funeral. This is time based, you must go to the Graveyard
or Nalia will go without you.

Once at the Graveyard you will be met by the messenger who shows
you to the Funeral site. Go up the stairs. There you will meet
Isaea Roenall, her former fiance. Talking with him reveals the
sort of person that he is, and why Nalia was in no rush to marry
him. He ends his tirade with a threat and leaves.

Nalia has an amusing little rant about him and you can go.

QUEST: The Return of the Fiance & the Abduction of Nalia

Barg - Docks (AR 0300, x 2380 y 2500)
Roenall Estate - Government District (AR 1000, x 2810 y 140)

24 hours after the Funeral, Isaea tracks you and Nalia down and
demands that she honor her commitments. He then places her under
arrest using his authority as an Amnish official. She is taken
into custody and he laughs at you. It is suggested (for me it was
from Yoshimo) that I attempt to find some evidence of his wrong-
doing and present it to his superiors.

Note: On my latest journey through the game, I managed to
trigger this event before it was time (in the middle of
the funeral, in fact), such that he didn't kidnap her at
all, merely repeated what he had said during the funeral.
Why? Bodhi grabbed me and made her offer before Nalia
could make her rant about Isaea being a bastard. So, to
get Nalia kidnapped, I did a quick cheat with a
CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("isaea") to get this quest.

Then Khellor Ahmson comes up to you with a plan to get back at
wicked Isaea. You are told to watch a man named Barg at the docks,
to search Isaea's home in the Government district (which he will
unlock) and to present any evidence you find to Corgeig Axehand,
Isaea's superior.

Go to the Docks and find Barg (he's near the Sea's Bounty). Talk
to him and get him to reveal information on Isaea. He mentions one
Officer Dirth, who happens to be in the Sea's Bounty right now.
Enter the tavern and talk to him. This will end in violence.

Dirth - 3200 exp
Full Plate Mail
Spells - Simulacrum (Mage)
Slavery Documents

We have evidence, but not enough yet. Go to the government
district and go to the very top of the map. The building there is
the Roenall building. Open it and go inside. Inside the bedroom,
search the drawers there to get Isaea's financial records. Leave
the house.

Enter the Government Council Building and talk to Corgeig Axehand.
Present him with all of your evidence (especially the financial
records) and he will summon Isaea forth. Corgeig launches a major
investigation towards Isaea, which frees up Nalia to rejoin you.
Isaea promises that this isn't over yet. (yet that appears to be
it for him)

OTHER: Infinite Flame Arrows

Captain Arat - De'Arnise Area (AR 1300, x 675 y 3320)

This can only be done BEFORE the keep is liberated. Talk to
Captain Arat and when you say farewell he gives you some Flame
Arrows. Now simply talk to him again (3,3) and you will get
another set of Flame Arrows. You can repeat this as often as you
wish to get as many arrows as you wish. I would replace all of
your regular arrows with Flame Arrows here. Once the Keep is
liberated Arat leaves forever.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4 } } } } Windspear Hills (AR 1200)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can't get to the Windspear Hills? Go out through the City Gates first.

Walkthrough:
------------

- LORD JIERDAN'S QUEST

If you are here, then that can mean only one thing, that you are here
because of Jierdan Firkraag. (There is also one Quest that can be done
here, the Dryad's Acorns, see Quests below) When you arrive you will
find the ogres you are looking for right away, and although a
conversation starts, there is no way to avoid this battle. When they
are all dead, the bodies turn into Knights and Garren Windspear
approaches. You have been fooled into killing these Knights (you saw
them as ogres, and I would imagine they saw you as the same). If you
have Keldorn in your party, he'll mention that one of these knights is
named Ajantis (who was in Baldur's Gate). Well, great, you just killed
Ajantis. Garren offers to help.

Follow him into his house and talk with him. He agrees to tell your
story to the Order of the Radiant Heart, so that they don't think you are
a simple evil-doer who kills their knights. When he leaves, you get to
talk to his daughter (or son, it depends on what gender your main
character is). You then automatically rest. Soon a halfling approaches
and warns of bandits in the area. These bandits soon appear inside,
kidnap the daughter (son) and attack you. Once they are dispatched,
Garren returns and asks that you retrieve his daughter. Well, since it
IS your fault...

- FIND GARREN'S DAUGHTER (SON)

Well, now we have to find the daughter (son) of Garren. Go up and right
all the way to the corner to find Firkraag's big impressive Temple. You
can't miss it (x 4300 y 500).

Enter and you will find yourself in a Hobgoblin ambush. Hit the Shaman
quickly and he turns back neutral and flees the battle. Just past them
is another Hobgoblin group. Now go left and up. There will be many
Kobolds here. Hit them with arrows from afar, as they explode into
fireballs. Then kill their leader, Rukh.

Rukh - 7000 exp
Ring of Fire Resistance

To the left is a pit which is guarded by Ogrillons (maybe not all the
time). Below the Ogrillons is a smaller cavern with various types of
Vampiric Mists (1000 exp) and Crimson Deaths (9000 exp) in it. You can
search the pool (x 800 y 1600) to find some treasure:

Amulet of Protection +1
Gems

Go back north to where Rukh was open the door and go through.

- SURVIVE FIRKRAAG'S AMBUSHES (AR 1202)

Well you will find yourself in the middle of a room, with Orc Archers
shooting at you from behind the walls. There are secret doors on each
of the walls that can be opened to even the odds somewhat. You could go
up these side passages, but I wouldn't recommend it. Open the main
door (x 1860 y 2180) and go through that into a room. There is another
door past this. Open it and go through.

Now, depending on what level you are on, there are monsters here. If
you are on a high level you will face an Adamantite Golem, otherwise
you face only a couple Stone Golems. If you are fighting an Adamantite
Golem, remember that it can't fit through those doors. Thusly you can
hit and fade all you want.

Go down the right passage, open the door and go in. Here we find the
Troll Cook, who naturally wants to eat you. If you object to being eaten
he has his goons try to kill you. Search the broken table to find some
magical missiles (by which I mean arrows and bolts) and the Orcish
Cookbook. This merely offers advice as to what types of monsters you
will face here. (you don't need it) The next room has an Otyugh, but
nothing else. Back to the passage, now we take the left door. (x 2050
y 1680)

Here you find a couple of really scared Orcs. They don't want you to
kill them, yet they obviously fear Firkraag more. Kill them if you wish.

Now open the main door (x 2360 y 1820). There is another group of Orcs
in here. Kill them and open the next door.

To the right is a horde of vampires (sometimes it's mummies), most are
worth 8500, but one is worth 12,500 experience. There is one trapped
chest in here with treasure. Follow the passage right to another room.
Within is a Greater Wraith (8000 exp). Search the floor to find a
container with a Key and some bullets. (x 3140 y 2630)

Go back to the main passage and take the left door this time (x 2600
y 1400). Samia will talk to you here (see Quests below), but she isn't
crucial to what we are doing. (most of the doors here don't go anywhere,
and are trapped to boot, which means you can get some easy experience
off of them!) I would do the Samia quest, however, as there is good
treasure to be had.

Open the south door (x 2450 y 1400) and go through. Within this passage
are several Wolfweres, which requires magical weapons to hit. Open the
next door and enter the Well.

Click the winch twice (x 1250 y 1230) to raise the bucket in the well to
get yourself an item. This also raises an Air Elemental.

Dragon Helm (sets Electrical, Fire and Ice resistances to 25%)

Go through the southern door. There is a big hole in the wall here, go
up it. Some monsters will be fighting it out here, join the battle and
kill them all. (better experience that way) There is a secret door here
(x 500 y 1050) along the north wall. In this room there are several
Golems (including an Adamantite Golem) to be dispatched. Go back out and
hold them in here if you need to. At the end of the room (x 800 y 450)
is a thing of treasure:

Heartseeker +3 Composite Long Bow
Gems

Go back to the previous room, and from there back to the passage and
then through the southern door. Here are some "adventurers" (actually
they are monsters disguised as adventurers, don't be fooled). They
turn into Greater Wolfwere's (15,000 exp). There are some treasures in
this room.

Open the next door and fight off these wolfweres as well. The final
room is a bit of an office and has some interesting treasures:

Spells - Hold Undead (Mage)
Hold Monster (Mage)
Domination
Horn of Blasting
Arrows (etc.)

- FINDING FIRKRAAG

Go back to the well, and go north. There will be Orogs up here and a
small room on the right. Open the next door (locked). This little
staircase here is trapped.

Within the next room you will find Chief DigDag (2000 exp, Delver's
Plate +2) and your old buddy from Baldur's Gate, Tazok (6000 exp, Full
Plate +1) as well as some goons. Tazok also has the mysterious Sewer
Key, which although is pointless now, has a great use back in the
Athkatla Sewers (see that section for details). Be sure to check this
room for treasures, there are a lot of good gems and some good spells.

You will find Garren's child in the right cell here (x 2380 y 700).
However, she is locked in and cannot be freed by conventional methods.
Find the stairs down.

This is Firkraag's lair. Move forward and all becomes apparent.
Firkraag is a Dragon. A red Dragon to be more specific. He talks to you
and spills his entire diabolical scheme to you. Your duty is to Garren's
child, so don't force a confrontation just yet. He sends his mage,
Conster up to the previous level. You must go up and battle Conster to
save her (him). Kill Conster, take the key and free the child. (23,750
experience)

Evil Note: If you are one of the three Evil alignments you can offer
to swipe the Deed off of Garren in exchange for treasure.
Conster immediately kills the child of Garren, and you are
sent to Garren. Steal or kill Garren to get the Deed.
Return to Firkraag to get your reward. (40,500 exp, Cloak
of the Shield) This has no effect on reputation, however,
some party members will leave when you accept this quest.
(from Nick McIsaac)

Go back to Garren's Cabin and talk to Garren. If you are a Paladin he
says that he will put in a good word for you at the Order of the Radiant
Heart. (everyone gets 44,500 experience)

- DRAGONSLAYING

If your main character is a Paladin then your paths will cross with this
Dragon again (as part of the Paladin Stronghold, see that section at the
end of the walkthrough). Or even if you aren't a Paladin, and simply
want to try your luck killing a dragon, you can.

Note: If you ARE a Paladin, don't kill Firkraag until your stronghold
asks you to. If you kill him before reaching the Stronghold
they won't give you experience for killing him. (David Lyons)

In any case, when you go back to Firkraag's Lair, he doesn't attack you.
He still has the Cyan Circle, meaning that you can talk to him. Which
means that you can easily use the "fake talk" strategy (see Attack
Strategies above) to kill him.

Firkraag - 64,000 exp
Red Dragon Scales
Holy Avenger +5
Cloak of the Shield
1500 gold
Spells

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Give the Fairy Queen the Dryad's Acorns

Fairy Queen - Windspear Hills (AR 1200, x 4050 y 3050)

This is the finale of the first Quest we got, waaay back in
Irenicus' dungeon. Simply go right from Garren's house and you
will find the Fairy Queen. She automatically talks to you, give
her the acorns and you get 32,500 experience. You get another
9750 experience when the Dryads arrive. They thank you and leave.

QUEST: Samia and the Tomb of King Strohm III

Samia - Firkraag's Dungeon (AR 1202, x 2500 y 1300)

You meet Samia deep within Firkraag's dungeon. She claims to be
searching for information on the old King Strohm III. You can
agree to help her if you wish, or you can be suspicious and
accuse her of being more than she seems. (After taking the Quest,
if you talk to her again and say that you want all the treasure for
yourself, she and a group of ruffians will attack you.)

Anyway, on to the Tomb. Open the first door (x 2600 y 1300). Open
the first door on your left, enter this room, and open the next
door on the left to find the First Guardian (x 2500 y 900). Talk
to, then kill the Guardian to get the first piece of the Burial
Mask. Go back to the previous room (you can find a book and some
scrolls here), and open the top door (x 2733 y 900).

Tip: Use the Mage spell 'Protection from Fire' on someone in
your party and have them go in alone. Without their fire
damaging you, you can easily beat them. (Rolander)

In the room opposite of this door is a Beholder-like creature
called the "Director". Kill it, but don't go through the other
door yet. Go back into the hall, and down. There are four rooms
on this hall, each has a "Guardian" in it, and each of these has
another piece of the mask. Then go back to the Director's room
and open the next door. Then open the left door to find the last
of the Guardians. Kill it and take the last of the pieces of the
burial mask. It will then fuse together into the completed
product. (24,550 exp)

Equip the Mask on someone and open the next door. An invisible
Fire Elemental is in here, and you can only see it (and attack it)
if someone is wearing the mask. Kill it to get 10,000 experience.

Note: Keldorn's 'True Sight' ability has the power to reveal
this invisible elemental. (Rolander)

Open the last door and enter. This is the all that remains of
King Strohm III. As you can see there's nothing here. However,
you can search the other end of the room to get some good Dragon
hunting treasure:

Dragonslayer Sword (immunity to fear, regenerate, 2xdmg to Drgns)
Dragon Scale Shield (resistances to fire, ice, electricity)

Of course, if you didn't deal with Samia before, she now will bring
her merry little band to you and attack. Kill her and her goons.
(6000-9000 exp each):

Plate Mail +1
Studded Leather +2
Gold
Other minor treasures

Tetrazome has an interesting way of dealing with this:

If you didn't deal with Samia before, and you grab the two pieces
of treasure, she and her goons appear to attack you. Before you
pick up the treasure, first put everyone in your party into the
room where it is (so none are in the room where Samia appears).
Then take your mage, and have him cast skull trap 3 times into
the middle of the room where they appear, then grab the treasure.
They'll appear and instantly die.

You may wonder what you can do with the Burial Mask. Well, Henning
Roes discovered that not only can thieves and other non-helmet
wearing classes wear the Mask, but it seems to protect against
Critical Hits!

OTHER: Ankhegs

There are several Ankhegs in the hills area. Kill them to get their
shells which can be turned into an armor by Cromwell the Dwarf
(at the Docks). It's not a very good armor, but it's better than
Plate Mail. Although Plate Mail + Ring of Protection is better
than Ankheg Mail.

OTHER: The Werewolves

Werewolves - Windspear Hills (AR 1200, x 2020 y 1080)

You will find a group of "fighters" fighting another group of
Gnolls. They bicker about things for awhile, then turn into
werewolves and attack you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5 } } } } The Planar Sphere
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- ENTER THE SPHERE

Starting from the Slums, you have to enter the house right next to the
Sphere first. This takes you right next to the Sphere. Now you must
have Valygar in your party (or his corpse) in order to open the Sphere.
Once it is opened, you don't NEED Valygar to continue, although I would
take him in just the same. Enter the Sphere. You will be in a small
hallway that leads to a door, open it.

There are now three doors in front of you. Open the leftmost one first
(x 2700 y 2700). It does a little double door thing. Here you find
a Clay Golem, kill it. (blunt weaponry works best) There are four
containers in here, one of which has the Golem Arm and Planar Key, both
of which you will need. Another container has Coal, which you also need.
There are also minor treasures here, mostly spells. Back to the previous
room.

The top right door leads to a map room and a Steam Mephit, but we don't
need to go there. Open the top door (x 2800 y 2500) and go through.
This activated the Planar Sphere and sent it to the Abyss, if you were
wondering. In this room you will encounter three knights of Solamnia
who are trapped in the Sphere. They warn you of Halflings. Evil
Halflings. You can search their table:

Spells - Khelben's Warding Whip (Mage)
Minor Treasures

Unlock the top door and go into that room. This is the water room, I
suppose, and is filled with Sahuagins. These guys have only minor
treasures (although one has a Cloak of Protection +1). Go back to the
Knight room, then open the left door and go through.

This is the famous Feral Halfling room. You have to fight 3 halflings
right away, followed by more as you go left. There are also Halfling
Mages and Priests farther left. One of the Halflings has:

Coal (which we need)
Gauntlets of Ogre Might (part of the Crom Faeyr)

- BUILDING A GOLEM

Continue leftwards on the path, it curves up into a new room. There is
a big bloody machine here used to create Golems, all you need is a Head
and an Arm. Well, we have an arm. Search the table (x 500 y 1425) to
find:

Golem Building Book
Coal (3 of 3)
Minor Treasures

Open the north door, go up the passage and into the Furnace Room. Here
there will be more Halfling Warriors. (I found only a +2 dagger on
these goons) Each of the three furnaces in here requires coal to
activate. So walk up to each of them, and click them twice. When each
one is activated, a Fire Elemental (or similar creature) will appear from
it and attack you. Once those are active (those are to power the Golem
making machine), go through the right passage (being careful to check
for traps, of course).

Within this room are several golems (I fought an Iron Golem, a Clay Golem
and three Stone Golems). Then search the box to the left of the gears
(x 1620 y 480):

Golem Head
Coal (useless now)
Gems
Arrows

Now that we have the head, back to the Golem making machine. You must
click on the machine three times (once to identify the machine, twice
to build the golem, and three times to set it free). (23,500 exp) The
Golem senses an intruder, opens the door to the right, and rushes out to
go get the intruder. Follow the golem. The first passage is trapped.
The golem finds an Elder Orb Beholder, you can help kill it if you want
the experience (14,000 exp). But more importantly, he opened the door
for you. Open the door to the right and go through.

- LAVOK

We are now one door away from the evil mage, Lavok. Make your
preparations, open the door and take him down. Use Pierce Magic to
remove his spell immunity, and Breach to get rid of his Weapons Immunity
and he is a piece of cake. Soon he has a change of heart (saying that
the evil has left him) (28,750 exp). Although Valygar is skeptical,
Lavok says that all he wants now is to die on the Prime Material Plane,
i.e. home. This coincides with your goals of getting home as well. In
order to do that we have to repair the Sphere, and that requires getting
a Demon's Heart. Convenient that we happen to have traveled to the
Abyss, no?

Warning: Do NOT use "Fake Talk" on Lavok! If you do this, then you
will never be able to get him out of the Sphere!

Note: Once Lavok has been defeated, and is lying on the floor, you can
pick his pocket to get the Ring of Acuity.

Before you do that, there are two rooms connected to this one with some
monsters and treasures you might want to look at. (Mostly +1 and +2
stuff, which depending on where you are in the game, might be worth your
time)

There is also some treasure at: (x 1050 y 550)

- GET A DEMON'S HEART (AR 0414)

Anyway, return all the way to where we first came in, and exit the
Sphere. Welcome to Hell! One version of it, anyway. We are here for
one (ONE) demon heart. There are about 3 possible hearts for you to
choose from, but we only need one. There are also various Imps, Quasits
and Salamanders wandering around here.

The first demon is found just left and up from the Sphere.

Tanar'ri - (x 1080 y 2020) - 10,000 experience

The others are found to the right of that first one within the main area.

Lea'liyl - (x 1910 y 1350) - 16,000 experience
Tanar'ri - (x 2150 y 1760) - 10,000 experience

Once you have a heart, return to the Sphere.

- REPAIR THE SPHERE

Go to the Orb Room (the room just after where we built the golem and
just before where the golem killed the Beholder). There are four symbols
on the ground that must be pressed in order to open the south door. The
Runes must be clicked on.

4 3

(Step on the top one first, then the bottom one, the right one and
finally the left one, 24,500 experience) Go down the southern passage,
and down the stairs.

Within the first room here you will meet Tolgerias again. (remember the
Cowled Wizard we got this quest from in the first place?) He isn't happy
to see you, and he and his flunky attack you.

Tolgerias - 18,000 experience
Ring of the Ram

From here there are two doors, an Iced over door and a Hot door. Each
eventually leads to the same place, so we are going to search one, then
the other, and finally enter the engine room. Open the Ice Door first
(x 900 y 1000). In here are various monsters (Ice Salamanders, Imps,
and Trolls). Then search the machine in the center to get some
treasures:

Helmet of Defense
Ice Arrows
Spells - Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (Mage)

Go back to the previous room, and open the Fire Door (x 1450 y 1100).
This room has worse monsters (Greater Fire Elemental, Efreeti, etc.), but
also has better treasure. Search the base of the thing in the center to
find:

Spells - Spirit Armor (Mage)
Globe of Invulnerability (Mage)
Staff of Fire +2
Large Shield +1, +4 vs. Missiles
Fire Arrows

When you are ready for another battle, head up to the next door (x 1750
y 500) and go out.

The only thing we have to do here, is get the Demon's Heart into the
machine which is right in front of you. Standing in your way are
whatever Golems happen to be in here right now. Feed a Heart into the
machine and the Planar Sphere returns to Athkatla (45,500 experience).

Trick: I replayed the sphere for testing, and this time I entered the
room where you have to place the heart through the cold room.
No golem. I walked near the machine. Nothing. But when I went
back there were 3 golems waiting just where I entered the room.
Reloading and another try. This time I left my party waiting
there and walked with a fighter to loot the stuff in the
north-eastern part. There was a golem. But the other golems
didn't appear. If you're on low level this is an easy way to
get through this part. (Henning Roes)

There is a TRAPPED thing of treasure off to the right (x 1230 y 350):

Ring of Danger Sense (+25% Trap Detection)
6000 gold
Lots of Gems

Return to Lavok, talk to him and agree to take him outside the Sphere.
You will be automatically taken outside where Lavok dies. (everyone gets
45,500 experience) Valygar wonders about life and asks to join you
permanently. Search Lavok for:

Ring of Acuity (Learn extra 2nd, 3rd and 4th level spells, Mage)

And at this point, a Mage would gain the Sphere as his Stronghold. (see
the Strongholds section at the end of the walkthrough)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.6 } } } } The Graveyard (AR 0800)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Mournful Paladin and the Little Girl

Paladin - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 920 y 820)
Arenthis - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 2345 y 1875)

Just to the right of the entrance to the graveyard you will find a
Priest named Arenthis (x 2345 y 1875). He has been given charge of
a young girl, Risa, whose parents are dead. She is very sad. He
can't really take care of her and asks for help in this matter.
Can you find someone that can take care of her?

Go northwards through the graveyard until you find the Paladin,
Kamir. He recently lost an adopted son and mourning for him. He
could not protect him and blames himself. Tell him that he didn't
fail. Then mention the orphan girl with the priest and he perks
right up. Maybe he could save her! You get 12,250 experience from
Kamir.

Follow Kamir down to the little girl where the two meet. He
decides to help her and the two leave. For this you get 3000 exp.
Then the Priest talks to you, and is very pleased himself.

QUEST: Buried Alive

Open Grave - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 1000 y 685)
Gravekeeper - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 1550 y 400)
Red Garment Man, Am Si - Bridge (AR 0500, x 1680 y 3515)

In the northern part of this graveyard, near Kamir the Paladin is
an open grave where someone was buried alive. Click on the grave
to get Tirdir out of it. Agree to help him, and ask him for any
information he can give you. He gives you a piece of a Red Garment
(6500 exp) and tells you it belonged to his kidnapper.

The first step in this is to talk with the Gravekeeper, a man who
looks very much like a beggar. You will find him north of the
grave and a little east. Talk to the man. No reason for subtlety
here, just threaten him and demand answers. He points you to the
bridge district.

At the very southern end of the bridge district, just a little to
the right you will find Am Si, the infamous "man in red." Talk to
him. Pretty much anything you say is going to result in him
running into the nearby building to your left. Enter it. Here
you will find Am Si's employers, Camitis and his goon. They kill
Am Si and flee. Go out after them. Take Camitis out before he
manages to escape the area (FORCE-attack them). The only good
treasure on the two is on his goon, the Boots of Avoidance.
Go back inside, and upstairs to find another kidnap victim, Lady
Elgea. You get 16,750 experience for freeing her.

Alternatively, you could force her to remain here until you collect
the Ransom. Check the dresser by the bed to get the Ransom Note,
which tells you where and when. Then go at nightfall to the Copper
Coronet. Talk to Welther there and he gives you the "agreed upon"
item, the Silver Pantaloons. Oh, and your Reputation Drops by 2.
The Silver Pantaloons is one of the best treasures you can get...
if you have Throne of Bhaal that is. Take them with the other
2 Pantaloons to Amkethran and have the Smith assemble them there.

QUEST: Wellyn the Halfling Ghost Child and his Teddy bear "Littleman"

Wellyn's Grave - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 1625 y 1740)
Llynis - Copper Coronet (AR 0406, x 665 y 545)

When you visit the Graveyard at night you may notice a little
ghost wandering around. That is Wellyn. Let him talk to you and
hear his sad tale. A thief broke into his house, stole his bear,
and killed him. Now you need to find his bear so that he will be
at peace and roam no more.

You will find this evildoer in one of the rooms in the Copper
Coronet. Talk to Llynis and ask about him having seen ghosts
recently. You can demand the bear, but he may attack you anyway.
Give Wellyn the bear for 15,500 experience.

During the day you can then talk to the parents of Wellyn (who
stand near his grave) for another 5000 experience.

QUEST: Find the Nether Scroll for Edwin (from Blackhawk)

Crypt - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 640 y 1830)
Neveziah - Lower Crypts (AR 0802, x 2160 y 1300)

Edwin's quest comes up when you enter the graveyard with Edwin in
your party. He'll mention rumors of the Nether Scrolls hidden in
the graveyard, more specifically the Lower Tombs. Now in the
Southern Dungeons of the Lower Tombs (the area where you have to go
for Korgan's Quest but in the opposite branch -- east instead of
south) you'll find a lich named Neveziah (8000 XP). He'll talk with
you and hint he has the Nether Scrolls, at which point Edwin will
try to forcibly take them. Now with Neveziah dead, Edwin has the
Nether scrolls (11,750 exp).

Per Jorner adds this:

Whether or not Edwin's Nether Scroll quest can be completed
depends on what you say to him when you find the scroll. If you
tell him that the scroll is "party treasure", for some reason the
quest won't proceed beyond that point.

Now after 5 days he'll talk about a translation in his Nether
Scroll and Edwin will receive a +1 bonus to all Saving throws, +20
to his lore, and 50,000 XP. (you won't see that he gained anything,
but he did) One note on this is there is a sound attached to the
bonuses, but has a save vs. death on it (checked the coding of it
out), so sometimes you'll not hear the sound and save vs. death
pops up. So the Save vs. Death is nothing suspicious or special.

Now 24 hours after the last event Edwin will come up with another
revelation saying it's a transformation spell like a mage to lich
but more powerful. He doesn't understand it completely but wants
the power so he casts it and screws up. Hence Edwin becomes a
woman. They change his entire voice set. One attack quote is
funny as hell. (I feel your stares! Die! Die!) And as far as I know
he has Yoshimo, Cernd, Jaheira(2?), Minsc(2 or 3), Aerie, and
Anomen (funny one) all have one or more special reactions over this
time.

Now quite some time (20 days or more) after the transformation a
Red Wizard named Degardan will visit you. He will be searching for
Edwin. You can turn him in (5000 XP, 5000 GP) or cover for him.
Degardan will return 2 days later and will know that Edwin is
"disguised" as a woman. He then proves it by dispelling the Nether
Scrolls magic and turns Edwin back. Edwin then thanks Degardan for
this. Then he proceeds to destroy Degardan (8500 experience,
Quarterstaff +2, Wand of Monster Summoning, 2 potion extra healing,
death spell, 2 random treasures) for witnessing the humiliation.

OTHER: Nevin's Not-so-dead Uncle Lester

Nevin - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 715 y 1580)

If you follow the left path upwards you will run into Nevin's
funeral service for his dear departed Uncle. Except his uncle
refuses to stay dead. Uncle Lester rises from the grave and starts
complaining at his nephew. If you kill Lester (he never turns Red)
you get 1000 exp + 6500 exp and some gold. Nevin isn't very
grateful that you saved his life, and only complains about you.

OTHER: Crypt King

Crypt King - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 750 y 850)

If you search most of the crypts in the graveyard, you find minor
monsters guarding minor treasures. Mummies guarding an Axe +2, or
whatnot. However, there is one notable exception, and that is the
Crypt King. You find him in the crypt just to the right of the
top left crypt. He appears to be a paladin of some sort and
requires magical weapons to hit.

Crypt King - 15,000 experience
Spells - Simulacrum (Mage)
Namarra +2 (Long Sword, casts Silence 15')

You can then search the two containers in here for some minor
treasures. (rings and necklaces)

OTHER: The Spider Queen

Crypt - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 640 y 1830)
Egg Sac - Main Crypt (AR 0801, x 2400 y 2500)

Within the main crypt here, in the center of the area you will see
what looks to be a giant spider egg sac. As you near it you will
be attacked by several Giant types of Spiders. Within this place
is a Drow woman who is about to sacrifice a bunch of commoners to
her spiders. They die, and about 30 small spiders attack you.
They aren't bad themselves, but they are all poisonous. One
Cloudkill will kill them all.

Pai Na - 4000 exp
Spider Figurine (summons a Giant Spider)

Spider Figurine - Kitthix

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 9 9 9 9 9
THAC0 HP AC Attacks Weapon
14 44 4 1.5 1d8 (plus poison)
Saves: Death - 12, Wand - 14, Poly - 13, Breath - 14, Spells - 14
Resistances: Magic - 10%
Immunities: Hold, Web
Special Abilities: Web Tangle - 2

Search the center of this area for treasure:

Pale Green Ioun Stone (+10% HP, +1 to THAC0)
Spells - Spider Spawn (Mage)
Spell Immunity (Mage)

OTHER: Night Thieves

Thieves - Graveyard (AR 0800, x 1720 y 1065)

If you come here at night, you will find several thieves attempting
to break into one of the crypts. Since that is YOUR job, kindly
tell them to stop it. They attack you. They aren't too tough to
dispatch. (non-violent solution? Stein)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.7 } } } } City Gate (AR 0020)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

The only reason to come here is to leave Athkatla. This area will lead you
out to the Windspear Hills, Trademeet, Umar Hills, etc.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Flydian and Trademeet (Druid's Grove)

Flydian - Gate (AR 0020, x 500 y 680)

In the center of the Gate area is a man named Flydian who is
seeking Adventures to help out his hometown of Trademeet. Agree
to help him if you want. You can go to Trademeet at any time.

See section 10. Trademeet for the continuation of this Quest.

OTHER: Two Star-Crossed Lovers

When you first enter the Crooked Crane Inn, an annoying fellow
named Rilmi blabs on about some lovers who aren't meant to be.
Upstairs you'll find this duo, and despite being a complete
stranger, you can convince them that they should really be
together. It's amusing but nothing else.

OTHER: Lich in a Wall

Secret Door - Crooked Crane Inn (AR 0021, x 515 y 160)

Within the Crooked Crane you will find a Secret Door that leads to
a small Crypt. Within is a Lich. Very powerful. You probably
won't want to tackle it until you are a fairly high (11+) level.
Liches are well know for their casting of Gate (summons a Pit
Fiend, a nasty demon, but one you can avoid by casting Protection
from Evil 10' Radius before the battle), Time Stop (which allows
the Lich to cast about 4 spells really quickly) and Meteor Swarm.

The best strategy would go something like this: Prepare a trap
in the Inn in case the rest fails, Haste everyone, cast other
protective spells, send in only the warriors with +2 or better
weaponry. Quickly pause before the Lich talks to you. Now we're
going to employ my patented "Fake Talk" strategy. Click on the
Lich as though you were going to talk to it. Now do a Force-attack
on the Lich and Unpause. The Lich will wait at least 6 seconds
before attacking. (You can try pausing again and doing more Fake
Talks if you want) If he snaps out of it and starts casting
spells, retreat to the Inn. The Lich MAY follow you out, but
probably won't. Then you can go in at your leisure. (He WILL
follow you out if he's finished casting his spells)

Lich - 22,000 exp
Ring of Invisibility
Wand of Cloudkill
Wand of Lightning
Rod of Terror (Quarterstaff +3)
Wand of Fire

With him out of the picture, you can then search his crypt for
treasure. The chest has:

Daystar (Long Sword good vs. Undead)

OTHER: The Merchant and the Thug

This one only happens if you have visited the Gate once, then come
back 5 days later. There will be a merchant and a thug standing
just outside the Inn here. There are three ways to handle this
situation, one good, one evil and another crafty. Offer to help
defend the Merchant and the Thug will leave, then the Merchant will
sell you his wares for cheap. WARNING! He will only sell you
things ONCE, after that he LEAVES FOREVER. To be Evil, stand aside
and do nothing. To be Crafty, encourage the Thug to kill the
merchant, he won't and leaves. You don't get to buy items that
way.

OTHER: Bribery and Guards

At the Gate itself, a shady merchant (possibly a Shadow Thief)
bribes the City Guard to let him pass with his contraband. You can
ask the guard about this, but he won't talk.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.8 } } } } The Bridge (AR 0500)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Solve the Murders

Tanner's House - Bridge District (AR 0500, x 2700 y 2600)
Rampah - Bridge (AR 0500, x 2633 y 1185)
Rose Bouquet - Bridge (AR 0500, x 2950 y 1980)
Bel - Bridge (AR 0500, x 2650 y 2050)

When you first enter the Bridge District you will be confronted
by Aegisfield, an officer of Amn. He is investigating a series of
murders in the area in which the victims were skinned alive.
Pleasant. Tell him that you intend to solve these murders. Just
west of that point some peasants are commenting on the murders.

Hmmm... skinned alive... well the first suspect would be the person
who skins animals alive for a living, the Tanner. So go into the
Tanner's Shop and talk to him. Rejiek, the tanner, acts very
suspiciously, but doesn't really do anything illegal. At this
point there is an easy way and a not as easy way to get him to
reveal himself as the murderer (and a near infinite experience bug
if you know how to do it).

Easy: Fail to pick his pockets (or attack him) and he reveals
himself.

Trick: Surround Rejiek on all sides such that he can't move
anywhere. Then get him to reveal himself (pick his
pockets, attack him, etc.). He then talks to you and you
get experience for revealing him. But since he cannot
move, he cannot leave the area. PAUSE quickly. Talk to
him again to get the experience again. PAUSE, talk.
PAUSE, talk. Keep on doing that until you get the "he
appears to be busy" message.

Not So Easy: Once you have talked to Rejiek, you need to go
gather evidence to present to Aegisfield. Start
with the beggar by the arch, Rampah. Either
threaten or bribe him until he reveals that some
leather was found with the bodies. Next visit the
courtesan, Rose Bouquet, in the Market Square. You
will have to buy her time (20 gold) but she tells
you that she smelled Guril Berries at the murder
sites. Next talk to Bel, the merchant, about both
the leather and the berries. Return to Rose and
she will identify the smell as Bark, not berry,
which is also used in making leather goods. (there
are other people to talk to, but they lead you to
red herrings)

Note: If you talk to the child Faraji, he accuses
Mrs. Cragmoon of being an evil witch. You
can talk to her and she admits to being a
mage. Then you can turn her in to Aegis.
No reward, and in 2 days or so, she will
attack you.

Go back and talk to Aegisfield at the entrance to
the bridge district. Give him your evidence and
he agrees to go check out the tanner's. Go to the
tanner's yourself. You will notice the Tanner,
his thugs (if you accused him beforehand), and
whatnot, but you won't see Aegis. Talk to the
tanner and confront him with the evidence.

Alternatively, you can confront the Tanner with the
evidence yourself. The only real difference is
that Aegis doesn't get killed (and thusly you can
collect a reward from him as well). (Craig Gibbens)

You get 23,250 experience for getting the Murderer to reveal
himself. Follow him down the stairs.

This level is very, very heavily trapped. De-trap the room and all
the containers. Search his dresser to find the Tanner's Letter
(useful if you want to find out what he intended to do with the
human skins). Search the top bed to find his unfinished "work"
(human skin). The other bed has some treasures in it (gems and the
like). The container near the stairs will have Aegis' body (if you
did things the "non easy" way, that is). Go down the next stairs.

Here you will find an enemy mage (who teleports out later), a Rune
Assassin and 2 Ghasts. When the mage leaves, he brings in a new
Assassin for you to deal with. The Assassins are worth 4500 exp
each, which isn't bad. The big crate in the center of the room
is TRAPPED, but has the:

Gesen Bow Shaft

There are a couple other treasures here, but nothing noteworthy.

Now, if you did this the Easy way, go to Aegis and tell him what
has happened. He gives you a reward: 45,000 experience and 500
gold. If you collected the evidence anyway you still get the
reputation +1.

If you did things the Not So Easy way, go to the Government
District and enter the council building. At the very back is Chief
Inspector Brega, tell him what has happened and give him the body
to get your reward: 45,000 experience, 500 gold and a Reputation
Increase +1.

QUEST: Raelis Shae Begs for Help (Bard's Stronghold)

Five Flagons Inn - Bridge (AR 0500, x 3200 y 2000)

In the basement of the Five Flagons there is a theatre that is
currently run by a group of wandering players. Go watch the show
and you will see Biff the Understudy in the role of a lifetime...
screw up royally. Raelis Shae comes out and apologizes for this
farce and begs for any adventurers to come see her. She begs you
to rescue their friend Haer'Dalis from the wizard Mekrath who is
holding him somewhere in the Sewers.

QUEST: Rescue Haer'Dalis from the Mage, Mekrath

Secret Door - Sewers (AR 0701, x 1080 y 550)
Imp - Sewers (AR 0701, x 2530 y 2120)

Head out to the Temple District and enter through one of the sewer
grates there. Go to the top of the sewers area, and search for the
left secret door there (the right one leads to the Mind Flayers
Quest, see the Sewers section for more information). This secret
passage leads to a set of stairs to Mekrath's Lair.

Once here you have to fight through a bunch of Mephits. Place look
familiar? Yep, it's reused from Baldur's Gate (Durlag's Tower).
You can find a couple of spells in the left library. In the right
room are two trapped chests, and above that are some monsters.
(one time they were Yuan-ti and Yuan-ti mages, the other time they
were Umber Hulks and Minotaurs) The chests have minor treasures
and:

Necklace of Form Stability

There is another trapped chest in the monster room with some gold
a spell and a potion. North of that is a temple looking room, that
is doubly trapped (on the floor and the pedestal). Beyond that
you will find Haer'Dalis, but he seems to be a little out of it
right now.

From the main room, go south. This leads to a room where a
skeleton is lying on a table. There are two containers in here
(one trapped) with more minor treasures. (spells and potions
mostly) Past this is a passage to the left that leads to Mekrath
the mage.

There are two ways to handle this situation, the violent way and
the non-violent way. We'll do the violent way first. While
talking with Mekrath, if you piss him off (I merely mentioned the
Gem) and he attacks you. I found that using a Chaotic Commands on
myself beforehand worked well.

Mekrath - 14,000 experience
Mage Robe of Fire Resistance
Minor Treasures

Just past Mekrath, you can search some containers for treasure:

Rod of Resurrection
Wand of Cloudkill
Potions

And the non-violent way. Talk to Mekrath and ask for the release
of Haer'Dalis (don't mention the gem). He will bargain Haer'Dalis'
release if you track down an imp for him and retrieve a magical
mirror from it. Return to the sewers. You'll find the Imp
skulking about in the bottom right portion of the sewers. Approach
and he yells at you that the mirror is his. Kill him and take
the mirror. Return it to Mekrath for 18,750 experience. He
releases Haer'Dalis (who you will find in the center area now) and
leaves. You can then take the items behind him anyway.

Finally go back to the templey room and take the gem from the
pedestal (as well as the Harp and Necklace). Once you have that
you can return to Raelis Shae. She gives you 1000 gold for
rescuing the actor and the gem. (more for the gem) And they begin
preparations to leave this Plane. (21,250 experience)

QUEST: Rescue Haer'Dalis from the Planar Prison

Raelis asks for your help to defend them while they summon the
portal to the next plane. Agree to help and then kill anything
that comes through the portal. After battling quasits, fire
elementals and shadow fiends, a bounty hunter comes through and
steals the group. You then have to follow them into the Portal.

Welcome to the Planar Prison, one of the worst spots in the
multiverse. You will find yourself quickly in a battle with the
Bounty Hunter and his cronies. Keep the mages out of the battle
and you won't have too much trouble with them. Be sure to search
them for treasure:

Boots of Speed
Cloak of the Shield
Melodic Chain +3 (Elven Chainmail, Bards only)
Wand of the Heavens

Afterwards Tagget, a prisoner here, fills you in on the details of
this place. The only way out is to kill the Cambion who runs this
place, who is located directly above you. However, going up
against him directly might be too dangerous so you might want to go
right, up, and left to find the Master of Thralls to free the
slaves here. Then they could assist you in defeating the cambion.
Complicating things are the Ground Portals, pulsating heart like
things in the ground that pull you into small guarded areas. These
should generally be avoided.

Go right and you will have to fight a group of Thralls. In the
center of this area is a Brazier that glows hot. If only you had
something that needed destroying in it. Continue right and you'll
see the first ground portal. Just past this are a bunch of enemies
(not just Thralls, some are monsters). Search the female Thralls
after they are dead for treasure:

Kundane Short Sword +2 (very fast)
Ring of Protection +1
Gauntlets of Weapon Skill (improves THAC0)

Go up to the Wyvern's Nest, and then left to find the Master of
Thralls. He likes to summon Air Elementals (if you had the Ring
of Air Mastery, this would be a lot easier).

Master of Thralls - 16,000 experience
Staff of Air (Summons or Controls Air Elemen)
Mastery Orb

Note: The Staff of Air might look like it
only has one charge on Summon
Elemental, but this is ONE CHARGE
PER DAY.

When he dies, the thrall nearby tells you to destroy the orb
somehow. If only there was a brazier around here. Go back right,
down and left to the brazier and click it to destroy the orb.
(24,750 experience) With that destroyed, all the Thralls will turn
on the Cambion. So, either hurry over there and join the battle,
or let them get killed by the Cambion so that you can steal their
things later. Either way, you'll find the cambion just north of
your starting position, and just left of the Master of Thralls
position.

Warden - 10,000 experience
Ajatha the Drinker (Long Sword +2, immune to charm)
Wave Shaft (part of the Wave Halberd)
Gems
Planar Prison Key

Kill the Warden (10,000 exp) and all his monsters and Tagget will
appear, say thanks and give you 5000 more exp.

Note: There are actually three containers of treasure on this
level, one of which is in the Warden's Room. These all
have things such as arrows or bolts. See if you can find
all three! (they're hidden in the moss on the walls)

Go over to the left to free Raelis Shae and Haer'Dalis. Haer'Dalis
wants to stay with you and follows you back to the Prime Material
Plane. He can then join you if you wish. Also, if you are a Bard,
Raelis gives you the deed to the Theatre before she leaves.
(everyone is given 44,000 experience) See the STRONGHOLDS section
for more details.

QUEST: The Rogue Stone Doorway and the Twisted Rune

Door - Bridge (AR 0500, x 1800 y 3345)

I would highly recommend leaving this one alone until chapter 6,
it is one of the hardest battles, if not the hardest battle, in
the game.

On the side of the Elemental Lich's building (see below) is a door
that seems to lead nowhere. You can't enter it. That is, unless
you have a Rogue Stone in your possession. Then you enter into a
strange place, where a Lich named Shangalar confronts you.
This is NOT an easy battle by any definition. He quickly summons
forth many difficult creatures (Beholders and the like). All of
which are tougher than their normal versions. What you must do is
try to fight only one of the monsters at a time.

For my preparations I set 8 traps around the alcove where you first
appear. Then when Shangalar attacked, he was instantly killed
(sweet!). Then I cast Protection from Magical Energy on everyone
to keep us safe from various spells, Death Ward to protect from
others, Invoke Courage (Mazzy) to prevent Fear, Haste, Protection
from Evil and Defensive Harmony. Then I ducked everyone as far
away from the table as possible. I moved one person out to trigger
the Lich, then as soon as that conversation was done I moved him
back. The lich was killed by the traps (fun). I then moved out
the person wearing the Shield of Balduran (one of the Collector's
Edition items) to attract the notice of the Beholder. The rays
were reflected by the shield back at the Beholder and it turned
itself to stone. I then huddled everyone back in the corner to
take out their warrior. Then I moved out, took out the Vampire.
Finally I confronted Layene and her Pit Fiend.

Shangalar - 50,000 experience
Gold

Layene - 4000 experience
Staff of the Magi (+2 AC, Invisible, Immunities, etc.)

To exit this area, take the Beholder Eye, put it in the Cauldron.
Then use the machine at the top of the room to teleport out.

OTHER: Valeria's Band of Goons

Building - Bridge (AR 0500, x 4000 y 1525)

Within one of the buildings you will find yourself locked in combat
with some goons for no apparent reason. Who are they? Why are they
"red"? Who knows. Take them out. The goons don't have much in
the way of treasure ON them, but are worth a fair amount of exp.
(Valeria is 12,000 exp) Then search the room for treasures, mostly
gems and spells.

OTHER: Captain Dennis and the Mercenaries of Riatavin

Delosar's Inn - Bridge (AR 0500, x 2060 y 3040)

Note: Killing Captain Dennis now prevents you from being able to
do the Limited Wish adventure later.

Within the Delosar's Inn on the second floor you will find the
second group of mercenaries in the game, this one lead by Captain
Dennis. Again they make a tempting target for you to take out.
First I would ignore what they say and calm them down. Then you
can make whatever battle preparations you wish. Then simply attack
them when you are ready.

Captain Dennis - 7300 experience
Throwing Dagger +2 (Boomerang)
Full Plate
Potions (etc.)

Mercenaries of Riatavin - 3200 to 7300 exp
Full Plate (etc.)

The three chests in here have minor treasures (spells, gold, etc.)

OTHER: The Elemental Lich

Lich's House - Bridge (AR 0500, x 1600 y 3350)

At the very south of this area there are two houses. One leads to
the kidnappers of Tirdir (the bottom one) and the top one leads to
our second lich (assuming you went by the city gates and met THAT
lich). If you're feeling up to it, unTRAP the door and enter.

Go into the basement. There you will see a great sarcophagi in
the center of the room. You need to click on it twice to release
the Lich. This is the Elemental Lich (and part of the Kangaxx
Quest, see the Docks section). He is easily dispatched with the
"Fake Talk" strategy, where you PAUSE, click on him as though to
talk to him, then kill him. (Pausing every 5 seconds to do another
"fake talk") 22,000 experience. Then click on his sarcophagus
again to get Kangaxx's Torso. Another "cheese" strategy is to use
a "protection from undead" scroll (you can get some in the
Adventurer's Mart and most temples). Undead, including liches,
won't even look at you.

OTHER: Boots of Stealth & a Gem

In the Five Flagons, if you talk to the barkeeper with Mazzy in the
party he'll give you some Boots of Stealth. If you talk to him
with Haer'Dalis he'll give you a gem. (many people mentioned this)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.9 } } } } Government District (AR 1000)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Companions:
-----------

Jan 9 17 15 16 14 10 Gnome Thief/Mage Chaotic Neutral

Found at: Government District (near the Government offices)

Event: 15 days after joining, Jan is summoned back home. This event is
covered below.

Viconia 10 19 8 16 18 14 Drow Elf Cleric Neutral Evil

Viconia DeVir was forced out of the Underdark and has been living as an
exile on the surface ever since. She journeyed with you in your earlier
adventures.

Fount at: Government District (near the prison)
If kicked out: Viconia goes to the Graveyard

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Jan Jansen

Jan - Government District (AR 1000, x 2750 y 1740)

You will find Jan in the southeast corner of the government park
selling his turnips (and other contraband). Jan will try to sell
you some of his patented "Bruiser Mates" (crossbow ammo) when Trax
arrives from the government to shut down the poor working gnome.
Trax and Jan talk a bit, then Trax asks you what Jan was talking
with you about. The easiest way to answer this is to say "the
weather", at which point you can get Jan to join up with you. You
can also turn in Jan for a small reward (100 gp), and then Jan is
thrown in the prison. You can get Jan out for 800 gold (on an
interesting side note, you can borrow 200 of that 800 from the
Prison Keeper). If you bust Jan out of jail you get 11,500 exp.
If you ever pay back that 200 gold you get 2000 experience.

15 days after getting Jan, he will be summoned back home.

QUEST: Jan Jansen Summoned Home

Jansen Home - Slums (AR 0400, x 3533 y 1350)
Jysstev - Government (AR 1000, x 2865 y 2865)
The Hidden - Sewers under Coronet (AR 0404, x 1075 y 2230)

Fifteen days after joining, a messenger comes up to Jan to tell him
to get home right now. Agree to help him with his troubles and
then high-tail it back to the Slums and to his house. His lost
love, Lissa has returned with her daughter, who is now deathly ill.
Jan tells you to talk to his Uncle in the basement. Talk with the
uncle to learn that you need to talk to the Hidden. To find the
Hidden you must talk to Lady Jysstev in the Government District.
(3300 exp) For most of this quest, Jan stays at his house.

Go to the government district, and talk with Lady Jysstev about
what you need. She tells you that the Hidden will meet with you
(despite you not being an "Enlightened One") in the sewer beneath
the Copper Coronet. (8900 exp) To the slums!

Enter the Copper Coronet, go into the back rooms, and find your
way down into the sewers (see the above Quests). You will find
the Hidden on the southern end of the little sewer river. Talk to
him, but keep things no-nonsense and simple. (He doesn't like to
talk to you) You can ask about him, but that won't get you
anywhere. He agrees to help the girl if you take care of his
enemies for him. To locate his enemies you need to talk to the
proprietor of the Sea's Bounty Inn in the Docks district. Talk to
him and pass the secret word on to learn that the two you seek are
on the second floor of the Five Flagons Inn in the Bridge District.

You will find the two Gith in the second room on the right in the
second floor of the Five Flagons. They will realize that you are
there to harm them and attack immediately. They have both magic
and melee attacks, which make them annoying to deal with. Once
they are dead, return to the Hidden and talk to him. (17,500 exp)
You can ask questions about him and he will reveal that he is a
Mind Flayer (Illithid).

Return to Jan and the girl will be healed. The plot continues
downstairs (15,500 exp). Jan asks your opinion on matters. Agree
to support him and he rejoins the team.

QUEST: Save Viconia's Life

Viconia - Government District (AR 1000, x 1800 y 1075)

Dark Elves are not very well looked upon in Faerun (the continent
you are on). With the exception of Drizzt all Drow are evil, which
doesn't help their reputation as evil killers with no remorse.
Even though Viconia is relatively "evil free", she is about to be
burned at the stake like a witch. Sure, she's evil, but she
doesn't actually ACT on her evilness. Much.

To rescue Viconia, you must click on the pile of wood under her
twice. That frees her, but angers the mob. You then have to
fight off the Fanatics to keep her alive.

If you let Viconia join you, you gain the best Cleric in the game,
but lose 2 reputation points. Also she has a low strength,
however, if you buy the Mauler's Arm at the Copper Coronet that
will improve her Strength to the point where she is able to wear
any armor.

QUEST: Keldorn's Family Troubles

Firecam Estate - Government District (AR 1000, x 1550 y 1950)
Mithrest Inn - Waukeen's Promenade (AR 0700, x 3000 y 450)

When you first enter the Government District with Keldorn in your
party he mentions that he maintains an Estate here, and asks if you
would like to go see it. From that point you have four days before
he complains about it, after that you have three days before he
leaves to go home. So, you're better off visiting his home
yourself.

Within the house, Keldorn talks to his girls (who don't seem to
like him) and to his wife (who is cheating on him with Sir
William). Keldorn is a little upset by this recent turn of events.
He asks you for advice, tell him to confront Sir William over the
matter. William is found in the Mithrest Inn in the Promenade.

Talk to Sir William, and he will chastise Keldorn for not being
there for his family. Now go with Keldorn back to his estates to
get some closure on this one.

Talk to his wife again, and they will realize they still love each
other. Of course, now Keldorn wants to spend some time with her.
You get 15,500 experience no matter what you tell him, let him
spend a day, force him to go with, or release him from your service
forever (however, he is gone for good). If you want to keep him,
then force him to stay with you, otherwise you may as well let him
go.

QUEST: Track Valygar for the Cowled Wizards (Mage Stronghold)

Valygar's Home - Docks (AR 0300, x 2450 y 1150)
Country Estate - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 1400 y 550)

Just outside of the council building is Madeen who has a quest for
you. He wants you to go inside and talk to Tolgerias about doing
some work for the Cowled Wizards.

Go inside and talk to the mage in light green. He wants you to
agree to do his quest before he even bothers to tell you what the
quest is. Typical. Agree to it anyway. He says that several
Cowled Wizards were killed, and he wants you to bring the murderer
in for justice. Notice how he seems to want the body one way or
the other? The target of your manhunt is Valygar Corthala, and you
can find his home in the Docks section of town.

Valygar's house is the one just to the left of the Temple of Oghma,
enter it. Talk to the servant and pretend to be a friend and he
tells you that the "master" owns property in the Umar Hills area.
If he doesn't tell you that, you can learn it by searching the
house and finding the "Corthala Tax Notice" which says much the
same thing.

Head out to the Umar Hills. You will find Valygar's home in the
top left of the area. He has some goons outside his house. Just
tell them that you aren't here to hurt Valygar and they should
leave you alone. Enter his house and talk to Valygar. He tells
you that he acted is self defense against the Cowled Wizards when
he killed two of them. They wanted his body to open up the Planar
Sphere, which was created by his ancestor, a Lich named Lavok.
Valygar would like to finish Lavok, with your help. Let him join
for 9500 experience. (The only real alternative here is to kill
Valygar and use his body to open the Sphere, giving him to the
Cowled Wizards results in a less than spectacular gain for you)

Note: If you tell him to "proceed as he will" he will go to his
home in the Docks.

Now whenever is convenient, go to the Slums and enter the Planar
Sphere (see the Planar Sphere section under the Slums).

Trick: Getting 3 Rings of the Ram (modified from Xander77)

You get the first Ring by pickpocketing Tolgerias
successfully (save first). You pick up the second by
killing Valygar and stuffing him in the Bag of Holding.
Go to Tolgerias and claim Ring 2 as your reward.
However, Valygar didn't disappear from the bag. Go to
the Planar Sphere, enter, and play as normal to get
number 3.

QUEST: Talk to Delon about the Umar Hills (Ranger Stronghold)

After a certain set amount of time, Delon will talk to you, so by
the time you get here you might have already talked to him. He
can appear anywhere. If not, then you can find him in front of the
Council building. Talk to him to learn of troubles around the
Umar Hills area.

This quest is continued in the next section "Umar Hills."

OTHER: Bribe the Cowled Wizards

Tired of not being able to cast magic in the streets of Athkatla?
Well who isn't. Simply enter the Council building and talk to
Corneil. He mentions that for a "monetary sacrifice" you and your
party will be able to cast magic freely. It costs you 5000 gold.
Ouch.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.10 } } } } Umar Hills (AR 1100)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When you first arrive in the Umar Hills area, you get to see a town
meeting. Everyone is complaining to the mayor about various goings-on
about town. Strange things are going on here. Some people blame their
problems on wolves, others on ogres and still others on the elusive Umar
Witch (who may be a folk legend). Seems like they could use a hero!

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Investigate the Deaths in Umar Hills

Mayor - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 5000 y 2550)
Ranger Cabin - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 600 y 2800)

Talk with the mayor to attempt to gain some information about how
things are going. He and his wife mention three possible suspects:
Wolves, Ogres (see the Ogres and Imnesvale below) and the Umar
Witch. You are also told of a good place to start, the old ranger
cabin to the west.

Go over to the cabin, and enter. Search the floor of the bedroom
to find a note from Mazzy that offers some clues. Then search the
kitchen table to find Merella's Journal the has some more clues.
Both of these items can be left here. Leave the cabin, then leave
the area and go to the Temple Ruins. (This is continued in that
section)

QUEST: The Ogres and Imnesvale

Madulf - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 3290 y 720)
Mayor - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 5000 y 2550)

Just north of town, across the little stream, you will find Madulf
the Ogre Mage and his other ogre cronies (some aren't ogres, but
whatever). He automatically talks to you. Listen to what he has
to say. Turns out his people are getting killed as well and he
doesn't know what is doing it. When you try to leave he wants you
to tell the village that they mean no harm and merely want to
coexist peacefully.

Go talk to the mayor about Madulf's request. He is a little
reluctant to trust ogres, but agrees to talk with them nonetheless.
(27,500 experience)

After a period of time, the Mayor returns from talking with them.
Then go talk to Madulf again, and as thanks he gives you an item:

Shield of the Lost +2 (5% magic resistance)

QUEST: Idle Hands in Imnesvale

At the north end of town are three youths who want you to buy them
either swords, ale, or both. Do what you will here. If you get
them anything you will find them in the cave to the west where they
get chased out by a gibberling (which they mistake for a dragon).
This is not instantaneous, it takes them some time to get into that
cave. I got 2000 experience for buying them 3 bastard swords and a
thing of Ale. (from the Merchants) You can get 1000 exp for giving
them one of the items, and 0 exp for telling them to go away.

Note: If your main character is a Ranger, DON'T give these kids
anything, as it will negatively impact your stronghold.
(such as getting you kicked out of it) (from ShirouKyoji)

QUEST: A Mage needs Mimic's Blood

Mage - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 4433 y 2060)
Umar Cave - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 1600 y 1300)

The house just north of the mayor's house belongs to a mage.
Outside of his house you will see some fool in love with the mage's
daughter. Enter and talk to the mage. Ask him about the thing
that he is making and he will ask you to fetch him some Mimic's
Blood so that he can complete it. Exit.

The cave with the mimic in it is westwards of here. Within you
will see what appears to be a chest. It isn't, it is a mimic.
Wait a moment and then you can attack it. When it is dead, search
it to get its blood. (The rest of the cave has some Umber Hulks
and some more minor treasures to be found)

Return to the mage and give him the blood (19,250 experience) and
he gives you the Short Sword +1, Ilbratha. Of course, then he
animates his golem, which goes amok and you have to kill it. Kill
the Golem. Then the fool from outside comes in and takes his
daughter away, the mage talks to you saying how foolish he was and
you get more experience (21,250 exp).

OTHER: The Chicken's Gem

Jeb - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 3775 y 1550)
Erlin - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 3225 y 1900)

At the north end of the village talk to the farmer Jeb and tell him
that you are an adventurer. Turns out for a little money (20 gold)
he has a little adventure for you. He says that he saw the chicken
farmer putting something in his chicken. Doesn't know what, but
it must be worth something. Go left and talk to the chicken
farmer, Erlin. The jig is pretty much up, and you can end out
buying whatever is in the chicken. It is a Beljuril, with a rough
value of about 600 gold.

Tip: Before talking to the farmer, pick the chicken's pocket to
get one Beljuril, then buy it again from the farmer to
get two! (from Brad Beacham)

Don't sell it, however, there is a way to use it to get an upgraded
horn. (see Waukeen's Promenade, The Horns of Valhalla quest)

OTHER: Fael and the Human Flesh Armor

Fael - Umar Hills (AR 1100, x 3500 y 2850)

If you solved the murders in the Bridge District you may have ended
out with an incomplete set of human flesh armor. There was also a
note that told you how to contact the person who was to finish the
armor, one Fael who is currently in the Umar Hills area. You'll
find him with the other merchants. Talk to him and buy the History
of the Zhentarim. Then tell him his name, 5) Darcin Cole and he
says that all he needs is one final ingredient, the blood of a
silver dragon. You won't find a Silver Dragon for QUITE some time,
but you will run into one eventually. Can't miss her. Bring him
the blood and he'll finish you the armor (Leather AC 3, magic
resistance 20%).

Oh, and he'll recognize that you aren't the Tanner and call in some
mages to attack you. Therefore this is best done at night when the
merchants are indoors and won't get blown to bits by the mages.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.11 } } } } Temple Ruins (AR 1404)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Companions:
-----------

Mazzy 15 18 16 10 13 14 Halfling Fighter Lawful Good

Mazzy is not your typical halfling. For starters, she's not a thief of
any sort. Plus she's lawful good, heroic and no-nonsense. Very atypical
for halflings.

Found at: Temple Ruins (follow the Umar Hills quest from Delon at the
Government District)

Warning: If you're dropping someone off here to add Mazzy to the
party, *don't* leave them topside at the Temple Ruins.
Destroying the Shade Lord swaps the daylit version of the
area for the shadowed version, and anyone in the shadowed
version is just gone. (I lost Nalia that way - after her
kidnapping, she doesn't go back to the Copper Coronet when
kicked out). (from Alan Cherry)

Event: Some good deal of time after Mazzy has joined your party, Danno
will come up to you with Mazzy's quest. This is covered down in
the Trademeet section. If you kick Mazzy out then have her
rejoin this timer is restarted.
If kicked out: Mazzy will return home to Trademeet

Grade: B- A good Halfling fighter, but... in all actuality she is
closer to a Halfling Paladin. She has several special
abilities such as Lay on Hands and Haste.

Walkthrough:
------------

- FIND SIGNS OF WOLF ACTIVITY

If you're here, then there's only one thing to do, find out what is
killing people back at Umar Hills and put a stop to it. Based on the
evidence at hand we believe that there are wolves involved. Werewolves
in all likelihood.

Go right a little, then up to find a Werewolf, Anath, flee into her lair.
Follow her in. (x 600 y 600) Tell her that she has preyed on her last
innocent and she won't know what you are talking about. Seems that
someone called the "Shade Lord" has been doing all the killing, including
killing her entire pack! Agree to help her take down this Shade Lord
menace and she says to meet her far to the right at the Temple Ruins.

- THE TEMPLE RUINS (AR 1401)

You will find her far to the right (x 4420 y 320) at what remains of the
temple. There are many shadows and shadow deviant creatures crawling
about here. She tells you that this was a trap, and to use the mirror.
Then she dies. You can find the mirror she was talking about just to
her left, and it is used by clicking it when close. When that is done
several new shadows appear and attack, but they shouldn't present a
challenge. Go down the stairs and enter the ruins.

There is one door on this passage, open it and go through. Fight through
the Shadows and Skeletons. Search the coffin (x 1850 y 650) to find the
skeletal remains of the last priestess of Amaunator. Naturally this will
be very important later.

Continue up to the next room where you will fight the Shadow Jailor.
Search his remains for the Shadow Jail Key. And conveniently there are
some locked doors right here. Open them to find Mazzy the Halfling
Fighter. Talk to her to learn all you can about the Shade Lord. She
tells you that he has a tame Shadow Dragon with him. She will also join
with you to defeat the Shade Lord if you want. (12,250 exp) Also in her
cell you can find some treasure (nothing great, just a journal piece and
some ammo).

Note: The journal piece is actually part of the Ranger stronghold.
See the STRONGHOLD walkthroughs for more information.

Continue upwards to find the really big statue (x 900 y 200). Talk to
it. There are three tests for you to take here, a morning test, noon
test and evening test. Here are the answers to the tests:

Morning: 2, 3, 1
Noon: 3, 1, 1
Evening: 1, 3, 2

When that is finished it gives you one third of the symbol of Amaunator.
(45,500 experience) We actually don't learn what these rituals are until
a little later, but we're here already.

Head down the passage (x 580 y 540), it turns east to a room with a big
crystal in it. If Mazzy is with you, she'll explain the significance of
the crystal. You need to take it to pass onwards in the temple, but when
you do take it, the shadows will attack you. Take the crystal. (x 760
y 1260)

Go north into the next room. If you are curious about how to learn the
Morn Ritual the actual way, search the column to get a scroll on it. If
not, then continue north and from there back to the main passage.

- COMPLETE THE SYMBOL OF AMAUNATOR

Now go south down the main passage to the Shadow Door, which will be
dispelled when you click on it with the Light Gem in your possession.

Head south just a little until you see the wooden bridge extending from
the right. (x 1400 y 1300) Shadows will appear in your midst when you
cross this bridge. The next room has lava for a floor, so don't spend
too much time lingering around. Search the ground (2 broken columns) to
find some treasure:

Pearly White Ioun Stone (Regenerative)
Arrows of Ice (etc.)

On the northern wall is a symbol of a Chinese dragon, which is trapped
and has some minor treasures (x 2240 y 1320). In the next room to the
north are Bone Golems (18,000 exp), Greater Mummies and Skeletal Warriors
(some with bows). You could always lead them across the lava floor to
damage them. (You can hug the wall to avoid damage, they will make a
beeline for you and go across the lava) Search the column here to find
more Amaunator items (Books and scrolls), these aren't that important.

Note: If you are on a high level, do NOT have the "Turn Undead"
ability on here, else you will kill the good ghosts in the next
room. (David Lyons)

Also, using the "Protection from Undead" scroll seems to have
the effect of making the "good" ghosts ignore you as well.
Sure, they talk to you, but they won't give you the wardstone
and symbol piece.

From the lava room, go south and enter the next room. When you enter,
a ghost of one of the priests talks to you and asks for the bones of the
priestess that you possess. Give them to them to restore her. For this
you get the second symbol of Amaunator and 17,750 experience. Also you
get the Shadow Dragon wardstone to prevent the Shadow Dragon from
attacking you. We now have 2 of 3 symbols. You can search her coffin
for some minor treasures (including the best Bullets in the game).

Continue south. This leads back to the main passage, but we've now
skipped one of the shadow doors. Sweet. Go right. At the first
northern fork (x 1840 y 2260) are a large group of undead, with more
Bone Golems. Kill them and go north.

This is an interesting chamber. Remember Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade where they had to walk only on the letters that spelled "Jehovah"
in Latin? Well similar idea, you can only step on the letters in
Amaunator's name. Start at the bottom right at the A and end out at
the top middle at the R. Simply step from one letter in the name to the
next. (if you step on an incorrect letter, you get hit with flame)

A - M - A - U - N - A - T - O - R

There are two doors here that lead to two rooms (that follows). Go in
the right one, open the door, to find a Shadow who wants to bargain with
you. (x 2750 y 1740) You will end out fighting him either way. Then
search the walls of the room for the final piece of the Symbol. Once
you have all three pieces, they fuse into the Symbol (21,250 exp).

- FIND AND DEFEAT THE SHADE LORD

Enter the left room and take the items from the Statues hands (x 2615
y 1620). These include some spells, a sling, but more importantly the
Sun Gem which will allow us to dispel the final Shadow Door. Return to
the main passage. (remembering to step on the correct letters, of course,
which in this case is R O T A N U A M A)

Follow this passage right, through the shadow door, and up to a normal
door, which opens to a stairway. Go down the stairs.

This is the lair of the Shadow Dragon. This is the easiest dragon in
the game to fight, and is definitely the first one you should try to kill
(without using the Fake Talk, anyway). Array out a series of traps in
front of it, cast all your protective spells (Mazzy has some too!) and
fight it. Cast Breach on it quickly as it will get protective spells of
its own up.

Thaxll'ssyllia - 45,000 experience
Shadow Dragon Scales
Crom Faeyr Scroll (one of the 4 parts of Crom Faeyr)
Gems (and gold)

If you have the wardstone you do not have to attack the dragon (and
it makes attacking the dragon a LOT easier!). Go left and up the next
stairs to the Shade Lord.

The Shade Lord will taunt you for awhile (especially if you have Mazzy
in your party) and then battle will break out. Take out the Shade Lord
first as he is the only real threat here (seriously). Then you can take
out Patrick and the Statue at your leisure.

When that happens everyone gets 44,250 quest experience points and the
area will be restored to a more sunny clime. If Mazzy is around she
wonders what it all means, and you can make the place a memorial to her
fallen comrades. After that talk to the near dead Merella. When she
is dead, search her for treasure:

Cloak of Stars (creates +5 darts)
Rogue Stone (useful for a certain Door in the Bridge area)
Gem
4000 gold

Also search Patrick's corpse for more treasure:

Halberd +2 Duskblade
Darkmail +3

Return to Umar Hills and talk to the mayor again to get your reward:

The Night's Gift +5 (Leather Armor, +20% stealth)
28,000 experience
100 gold
Reputation +1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.12 } } } } Temple District (AR 0900)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Cult of the Unseeing Eye (Priest's Stronghold)

Cultist - Temple District (AR 0900, x 3250 y 1750)

This Quest is the only method to obtain the Paladin Keldorn for
your party.

As you walk down the path for the first time, a group of people is
listening to an unconventional speaker. He tells them that the
gods are false, and that only his new religion has the answers.
A great many of the people follow him. Then a Priest (if you are a
Cleric of Lathander it will be a Lathander Priest, etc.; if you are
not a priest then it will be a Priest of Helm) approaches you and
asks that you follow him to his temple.

Once there he asks that you investigate this cult to see what it is
up to. The cult is based in the sewers and this Quest will be
continued in that section.

If you wish to pick up Keldorn (the Paladin) into your party, then
the best entrance to the sewers is at (x 3950 y 2150).

QUEST: Gain the Services of Sir Sarles for the Temple

Jystev Estate - Government District (AR 1000, x 2875 y 2855)
Jerlia - Waukeen's Promenade (AR 0700, x 733 y 2200)
Neb's House - Bridge (AR 0500, x 500 y 2550)

If you are a Cleric, you will be gaining the services of Sir Sarles
for the temple you are employed by, otherwise you are working for
Guardian Telwyn at the Temple of Helm. What happens is that every
temple in the city wants this artist to create a work of art for
their temple, but Sarles will only work if he is given Illithium
to work in. Sir Sarles is in the Jysstev Estate in the Government
District.

Go inside and talk to the Butler of the house and ask about Sir
Sarles. You can talk to the Lord and Lady as well. You will
find Sarles in the kitchen. Talk to him and he will refuse to
work with anything less than pure Illithium, which can only be
obtained from Jerlia in Waukeen's Promenade. Wander over that way,
and you will find Jerlia on the southwestern portion of the
promenade (check your map for "ore merchant").

Jerlia doesn't have 200 pounds of Illithium. In fact, that is
pretty well impossible for her to attain. She has two ideas for
you to try: Go to her source and try to get some for yourself
(you have to pay 1000 gold to get her source), or she'll give you
an "Illithium Substitute". We're going to do the expensive one.
Pay the gold to learn that her source is a Duergar named Unger who
is currently in the Copper Coronet. (You COULD try the Substitute.
Pay her 200 gold to get her to make an alloy to fool Sarles. She
leaves and promises to return in a day with the alloy. Come back
24 hours later and she'll have raised her price to 500 gold. Pay
it and get the Alloy. However, if you try to give this to Sarles
he will get really angry and leave.)

Go to the Slums, and into the Copper Coronet. You'll find Unger
near the bar. (x 300 y 1400) Talk to him. Tell him that Jerlia
sent you. Talk to him about Illithium and he'll mention that he
has none, as he was robbed by someone who worked for him. Agree
to help him get rid of this bandit. He then tells you the name of
the bandit, Neb, and says to look for a Derelict House in the
Bridge District. So, that's where we're going.

Enter the Derelict House (located in the southern part of the
bridge). Inside is Neb, the Child Killer from Baldur's Gate. He
will pretty much attack you no matter what you say. He also
summons the spirits of the children he has killed to defend him.
Ignore the spirit children, and concentrate on Neb. You'll find
him invisible hiding (and chuckling) behind the counter. Once he
is dead you get 2500 experience for each child spirit still alive.

Neb - 3500 experience
Neb's Nasty Cutter (weak dagger)
Neb's Head
Illithium (200 pounds)

Note: Another one of those profitable ventures is Neb's nasty
cutter. You can sell it to a merchant in Trademeet for a
very high price and he sells it back for cheap. (from
James Victor)

There are some small treasures around the house, including some on
the TRAPPED painting. I bet you are wondering what to do with a
HEAD. Well take it to Inspector Bregg (Council Building in the
Government District) to get a reward:

2500 gold
Reputation +1

We now have both the Illithium and the Alloy. Return to the
Jystev Estate to talk with Sarles again. If you even HAVE the
Pure Illithium in your inventory he will automatically take that
(21,750 experience). If you try to fob him off with the Alloy, he
won't take it and will leave town.

Return to the temple to get your reward. If Sarles skipped town,
the temple will take your Alloy and give you 10,000 experience and
the Helm of Glory. If you got the real Illithium to Sarles you
get your 1000 gold back and another 20,000 experience (yes, and
the Helm of Glory as well.)

Why would you want to keep the Illithium? It is one of the pieces
to make the upgraded Mace of Disruption. It's up to you whether
to do that, however.

If you are a Cleric, you will be given an additional reward. You
get to pick from these three items:

Ring of Holiness (1 extra spell for spell levels 1-4)
Armor of Faith (AC 1, +1 to saving throws)
Staff Spear (1d8+3)

QUEST: Another Mission for the Temple

Travin - Slums (AR 0400, x 1525 y 770)
Borinall's House - Slums (AR 0400, x 2250 y 1600)

This mission can only be done after you have finished the Sarles
quest. I am pretty sure this is also only done if you are not a
Cleric (as they would have this as part of their Stronghold). Talk
to Telwyn to get another assignment, this time to go talk with the
Dawnbringer Sain at the Temple of Lathander.

Sain tells you that one of their artifacts was stolen by thieves
working for the Temple of Talos. What he wants you to do is to
intercept this ring before the Talassians get it. The exchange
will happen in the Slums, he says, so go there.

Wait until after dark, and look for Travin. He will be standing
near the northern exit from the Slums. Talk to him. Simply ask
him if his name is Travin and he'll talk to you. He will want
money from you, but threaten him instead and you won't have to pay.
He then tells you where you need to go to get the item, a red
bricked house on top of the Copper Coronet (Borinall's House).

Enter the locked house and Borinall will talk to you. He has the
Ring but wants to make sure that you are followers of Talos. He
wants you to swear allegiance to Talos. If you do that, however,
you will be magically attacked by the god, and pretty well revealed
anyway. So refuse to do it and attack Borinall instead. He has
some goons with him, but nothing difficult. Search Borinall
afterwards to get the Dawn Ring. There are some other minor
treasures in here (such as a War Hammer +1 and some gold).
(notably, if you are a Priest of Talos, you can pass his test and
easily get the ring)

Return the Ring to Dawnmaster Sain to get your reward: 16,250
experience and 1000 gold.

QUEST: Hunt Anarg for the Order of the Radiant Heart

Radiant Heart - Temple (AR 0900, x 3300 y 3375)
Fallen Paladins - Bridge (AR 0400, x 4800 y 750)

In order to even get this quest you must have a reputation of at
least 10.

Enter the Order of the Radiant Heart and talk to Sir Ryan Trawl.
He has a Quest for you, to hunt the fallen Paladin Anarg, who has
apparently stolen out some members of the Order and formed an evil
group. You must pose as warriors to gain their trust, and try to
bring Anarg to justice. Anarg's group is found in the Bridge
District.

Head over to the Bridge District, and go into the open area in the
top right of the area. Here you will find the group of fallen
paladins. They are meeting with a group of thieves, and the
meeting soon turns violent. You can join the battle against the
thieves, if you want, but it isn't necessary. The leader of the
Fallen Paladins will approach you after the battle and offer you a
job. He wants you to go retrieve Anarg's Cup from the Order.
Agree to this, and head back to the Temple District to get it.

Talk to Ryan Trawl again and ask him for the cup. He is a little
reluctant to give it to you, but he will, if you promise to return
it. Return to the Fallen Paladins. Give the head paladin the
cup (10,250 experience) and he introduces you to Anarg. I am
pretty sure that Anarg will always recognize you as what you are
and attacks. (If you have Keldorn in your party, he definitely
attacks)

Return to Ryan Trawl to get your reward: 17,500 experience each
player, Reputation +1 and the Gloves of Healing.

OTHER: The Guarded Compound

Compound - Temple District (AR 0900, x 4200 y 2050)

Within the Guarded Compound are a wizard and a thief, who tell you
to shoo, or face a private lesson. Ask for that lesson and they
disappear.

When you reach the end of this hallway, you will be attacked by
many summoned creatures, including (but not limited to), Efreet,
Nishruu, Vampiric Mists, and Ogres. The treasures in the rooms on
this level are for the most part minor. There is a Morning Star +2
though.

Go up the stairs. You now have one of the more annoying battles in
the game. You have to find a very tough party of adventurers (that
is what I'm assuming they are) that include Minotaurs and Orogs.
Not ordinary enemies by any count. To add to the mix, your party
will be surrounded by some devious traps that need to be disarmed.
Keep the mage and priest out of the battle, then just whack
everyone else until they fall. Search them afterwards for some
really great treasure:

Celestial Fury (Katana +3, best Katana in the game)
Helmet of Defense
Battle Axe +2
Large Shield +2
Two Handed Sword +2
Leather Armor +3
Short Sword +2
Helm of Charm Protection
Full Plate +1
Plate Mail +1
Mace +2
Lots of Gold
Lots of Potions (unless they used them in battle)

With them out of the picture, the rest of the level is quite open
to be looted by you. (Spears, Wands, gold, arrows, etc.) A large
number of the containers here are trapped, so be careful.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.13 } } } } The Sewers (AR 0701)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Companions:
-----------

Haer'Dalis 17 17 9 15 13 16 Tiefling Blade Chaotic Neutral

Found at: Sewers (follow the Raelis Quest from the Five Flagons)
If kicked out: Haer'Dalis will go to the main floor of the Five Flagons.

Keldorn 17 9 17 12 16 18 Human Paladin Lawful Good

Keldorn is a dedicated man. So dedicated that he goes months without
seeing his family. This will lead to conflict, and may cause Keldorn to
leave your party forever.

Found at: Temple District Sewers (MUST start the Unseeing Eye quest
first), near the Old Tunnels

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Cult of the Unseeing Eye

Entrance to Old Tunnels - Sewers (AR 0701, x 150 y 450)
Gaal - Old Tunnels (AR 0202, x 2500 y 2150)
Door - Old Tunnels (AR 0202, x 2780 y 500)

The Cult is hiding in the Old Tunnels, which are in the top left
of this area. You will also find Keldorn near this place. Enter
the Old Tunnels.

Go down the side passage (x 3400 y 300) and follow that into a
room. There are Shadows here. When you get to the end of this
room Ettercaps will appear in it. Past this room is another large
room, with wooden planks as flooring. More Shadows in here. There
is also a trap at the entrance. After that is another long and
dark passage that leads to the Gas Chamber. When you reach the
center of the room, the doors slam shut and it fills with Gas
(roughly a Cloudkill). Turn the wheel in the center to get the
Gas to stop and the doors to open. You also have to fight off some
Vampiric Mists.

Go into the next room and talk to Gaal the Prophet. Ask about how
one might join up with the Unseeing Eye, and mention that putting
your own eyes out makes you uncomfortable. He agrees to let you
try a different quest, to go get them an item from the sealed off
sections of the old tunnels. He gives you a key to accomplish this
action.

Go back to the main tunnel, and then down this to the door. Open
it and go through. Be very careful to check for traps on the
floor. Very soon you will come up to a Sarcophagus room and meet
a man named Sassar. He was a member of the cult until he realized
just how evil the Unseeing Eye Beholder really was. Now he wants
to retrieve the Rod himself to destroy the beholder. Agree to his
ideas. This is the sarcophagus of the Shade Lich, part of the
Kangaxx quest (which you can read about in the Docks section).

Head down the southern passage (careful to look for Lightning
Traps). This passage leads to a set of stairs that go down.

(AR 0204) This area looks rather impressive, with giant blue
arches. You can search the nose of the statue (trapped) for a
spell scroll. Go forward, then right. This leads to a Yuan-ti
gathering and a strange building. De-trap the stairs and go up the
building. When you are on it, click on its roof and you will have
to answer its set of questions. If you fail any of its questions,
it sends a monster to kill you.

Question 1: 7) Life
Question 2: 9) Time
Question 3: 4) The Current One

Solve that to get 42,250 experience. Across the bridge are quite
a large number of enemies, such as the mini-beholders (Gauth) and
Shadow Fiends. There is a nook (x 3715 y 2485) with some treasure:

War Hammer +2 (+1 Electrical Damage)
minor treasure

Take the north passage. Just before it opens up into a large
watery room there is a TRAP.

There are many "diseased" people around here, but only the one in
the center says anything valuable. Enter the temple behind him.
Here you will find the dastardly Empathic Manifestation. No matter
how many times you hit it, you cannot kill it. Cast "Cure Light
Wounds" on it and it will die. (He feeds on Hate, so give him a
little "lovin'") After that the Avatar appears. (25,750 exp)

Talk with him and soon a plan will be developed between him and
you. You will take his piece of the Rod up to the beholder to
destroy the beholder with, then you bring the two assembled pieces
back to the Avatar so that he can destroy it. He gives you his
piece and tells you to talk to his people outside the temple.

Return to Sassar (the former high priest of the Unseeing Eye) and
he has a plan to get the other half of the device. Talk to Tad
within the cult and he will help you get it. Do not talk to Gaal
or your plan is doomed! Go to the Unseeing Eye. Past the guards,
turn left to find Tad, who will automatically talk to you. Tell
him the code phrase ('the eye is blind'). Go down into the pit.

(AR 201) Ever wonder what a lone Beholder's lair looked like? Well
now you know. There will be monsters down here (I fought Mummies
and Ghasts). Follow this passage. Go up the stairs and a zombie
will say "must go tell the mayor" and wander off. Odd. There will
also be more undead here to fight. Go inside the large building
just ahead of you.

There are lots and lots of undead here. They have a city of sorts.
Kill them all, then search them for treasure:

Skin of the Ghoul (Leather Armor, AC 4)

Search the bone pile (x 575 y 475) in the next room to find:

Gauntlets of Dexterity
Spells - Dire Charm (Mage)

Leave this building, and continue right on the bridge. There will
be more monsters, of course. Continue right and enter the Lair.

(AR 205) Searching in the first room, you will find some minor
treasures, but no piece of a Rod. Continue upwards. There will
be a Gauth when you round the bend. The Beholder Lair is shaped
like a Beholder. It has a large central body, and 4 eye shoots.
You came in through one "eye shoot", and at each of the three
others there is another thing of treasure guarded by a Gauth or a
Beholder. In the center of this area are a group of cultists.

The top eye shoot (x 2000 y 300) has:

Dragons Bane +3 (Halberd, +6 vs. Dragons)
Spells - Protection from Acid (Mage)
Gems, etc.

The far right eye shoot (x 3050 y 1500) has:

Rift Device Part (the final Rod piece)
Gold

* From this point, there is an ALTERNATIVE path you can take, see
Lucas's note below.

The other eye shoot has but gems and such in it. When you get the
Rift Device Part it becomes a wand with one charge. The game
recommends that you equip this in your Quick Item slot. (26,250
exp) As soon as you move from this spot, you will be attacked by
the Unseeing Eye. Use the Rift Device to remove his protections,
then hit him once to kill him.

Unseeing Eye - 30,000 experience
Amulet of 5% Magic Resistance

Just to the left (x 1860 y 2120) you will find the exit. This puts
us right near the stairs down to the Avatar's area. (so that we can
return the Rift Device to him) Go back to the Temple and let
things unfold there. Once inside you have to convince the people
to accept their god and he will appear. They all vanish and you
get your reward:

47,250 experience
Saving Grace +3 (Medium Shield)

Return to the Cult. There you will see Gaal trying to keep
everyone within the cult. He naturally blames you and his forces
attack. Kill them, then search them for treasure:

Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy
Bracers AC 7
Girdle of Fortitude

With him out of the picture, the other Cultists leave. You can
then loot the entire place. It mostly has Gems, Arrows and Spells.

Return to the Temple of Helm (or Lathander ...) to get your
reward for clearing this out:

45,750 Experience (everyone gets that amount)
Mace +1: Ardulia's Fall
7000 gold
Reputation +1

And, of course, if you are a Priest this will then lead you to
your Stronghold. (see the Strongholds section at the end of the
walkthrough)

Lucas has an alternative method to handle the above quest:

After you talk to the Avatar and get the first half of the rift
device, go and talk to Tad. You'll give him the pass phrase
'the eye is blind' and he'll open up the entrance to the pit.
Now, go and talk to Gaal. You'll get the XP for bringing him the
rod, and then you can waste him, and get his goods. Now go back
to where Tad was and go down into the undead city, complete that
area and onto the beholder's lair. Do everything normally and go
pick up the other half of the rod. You'll get 26,250 for
assembling the rod, and the Unseeing Eye will appear. Grease
that sucker with the rift device and head back to the Avatar's
temple via Sassar's area. Get down to the Avatar and present him
with the rod. Now, go back to the cultist's living quarters.
Every enemy will go off running and disappear, but the unseeing
eye will be there. This is where you summon up what you can
(fire elementals if possible) and take out the Unseeing Eye all
over again. Get 30,000 more XP and another amulet. Life is
good!

Editor's Note: This Alternative doesn't seem to work with Throne
of Bhaal, that is, the second Unseeing Eye
doesn't appear.

QUEST: The Windspear Key (AR 0711)

Secret Door - Sewers (AR 0701, x 1865 y 440)

That key you got off Tazok in Firkraag's dungeon opens a secret
door down in the sewers. Enter the sewers and go to the most
northern point. The right secret door is the one we want. As you
move down this passage, several of your party members will be
paralyzed by psychic vibrations. There are also many dead
adventurers littering the passage. Looks bad, eh? Go up the
stairs here.

This leads to a circular chamber. There is a door to the far left.
Open it and you will find another circle room with a Mind Flayer,
Umber Hulk and lots of dire charmed enemies. (with such generic
names as "Fighter" or "Cleric") The best strategy is to sneak up
to the room until 2 or 3 enemies see you, draw them back to the
previous room and kill them. Then save it and rush the Mind Flayer
and hope that it doesn't instant kill you. (9000 exp) I find that
using some protective spells works great. (Protection from Evil,
Haste, Chaotic Commands, Improved Invisibility and Death Ward)

Open the door, go through the passage, and open the next door.
Here is a far worse battle with 5 mind flayers (some are Ulitharids
which is a tougher type of Flayer) and an Umber Hulk. Take them
out (rest and save), then open the north door, go through the
passage to find the rest of the Flayers (about 8, and 2 or 3 Umber
Hulks). There is a Mind Flayer Lich here (called an Alhoon) who
was forming an army.

Search the center cauldron for some treasure:

Wand of Wonder (random effects)
Hammer of Thunderbolts +3 (part of the Crom Faeyr)
Spells - Shocking Grasp (Mage)

QUEST: Rescue Haer'Dalis from the Mage

(see the Bridge district for details on this quest)

QUEST: Roger the Fence and the Troll

Roger - Sewers (AR 0701, x 1680 y 2300)
Troll - Sewers (AR 0701, x 160 y 2550)

In the southern tunnels you will find an odd fellow named Roger the
Fence. He is there mainly to sell goods (as well as to buy the
crap you get). But he also has a problem. (3,1,1,1) He came down
here to avoid the guard, but he has been having trouble with "the
beasties." Agree to take care of his problem, for a little gold,
of course. Then head left along the southern tunnels. Follow the
first tunnel you find to get to the Sea Troll. Kill it (it has
more HP than its experience value would let on) and return to
Roger for a reward: 500 gold and 9500 exp. (don't try to trick
him)

OTHER: Tarnor the Hatchetman's Mercenaries

Mercenaries - Sewers (AR 0701, x 1700 y 460)

At the top of the sewers you will confront Tarnor and his merry
band of bandits. They'll let you go for 1000 gold, or you get
yourself into a big old fight. The "fake talk" works great here,
but any strategy is fine. I'd put an insect swarm on their mage
to prevent him from casting spells. Then search them afterwards for
treasure:

Plate Mail +1
Full Plate +1
Full Plate Mail
Helmet of Charm Protection
Wyvern's Tail +2 (Morningstar)
Small Shield +2
Hangard's Throwing Axe +2
Gems, Potions and Gold

OTHER: Rakshasa

Rakshasa - Sewers (AR 0701, x 1600 y 1600)

In the very center of this area you will find a horde of kobolds
and their Rakshasa master. This isn't a tough fight, especially
when compared to the mercenary battle, but it does yield a pretty
good item:

Cloak of the Sewers (AC +1, can be worn with other magic items)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.14 } } } } The Docks (AR 0300)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoshimo Exposition:
-------------------

When Yoshimo first comes with you to the Docks he explains that this is
Shadow Thief territory and that he needs to go see Renal Bloodscalp to
settle things between them.

Companions:
-----------

Edwin 10 10 16 18 10 10 Human Mage Lawful Evil

Edwin gets the most spells of any mage, +3 for every level (1 from his
Conjurer bonus, and 2 from his non-removable amulet).

Found at: Shadow Thieves Guild (talk to Renal Bloodscalp)

Grade: B+ What his stats don't tell you is that Edwin gets bonus spells
making him the best mage in the game. The downside is that
he is weak as a kitten and has so very little HP. And the
other wrinkle is that he is Evil making him hard to fit in a
good party.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Take the Body of Renfield to Rylock

Rylock - Docks near Galvarey Estate (AR 0300, x 1440 y 2950)

The second of the Between Area events dumped the body of Renfield
in your possession, and it is here that we can get rid of it.
You will find Rylock standing near the large building in the SW
corner of the map. You will get: 14,550 exp and 125 gold.

This leads us to the next quest...

QUEST: Rescue Montaron from the Harpers

Xzar - Steps near the Sea Inn (AR 0300, x 2370 y 2475)
Harper Base - Docks (AR 0300, x 1320 y 2930)
Prebek's House - Docks (AR 0300, x 1860 y 1260)

Once you have delivered Rylcok and gotten your "reward", go right
and you will find Xzar (a Necromancer who joined you in the
previous game). He wants you to rescue his friend, Montaron (who
also joined you in the previous game) from the Harpers (a group of
"do-gooders", of which Jaheira is a member). Agree to his odd
demand, but you might want a reward for doing something so
dangerous.

Warning: If you refuse Xzar's request you cut off any future
Harper Plots for Jaheira as well as any romance
potential with her.

Go back and talk to Rylock. Ask him to see inside and tell him
because you always wanted to see a Harper. (this is a lot easier
with Jaheira in the party as she is a Harper herself) He doesn't
trust you, and to earn his trust you have to do a Quest for him
(but of course). He wants you to get rid of a "vile" mage named
Prebek, whose house is directly to the north. Agree to this,
although Yoshimo "smells a rat."

Head north to Prebek's house (it's marked on the map). When you
enter you might notice that this is not some great Archmage. Seems
the Harpers didn't tell you the WHOLE truth. Kill them, then loot
the house. There are three containers here with good spells
(Invisible Stalker, Fire Elemental, Resist Fear, Horror, etc.,
for instance), however everything here is TRAPPED. Go back to
Rylock to get 14,500 experience and gain admittance to the Harper's
base.

There are three Harpers in this main hallway, talk to them if you
wish, although they won't be very forthcoming with the information.
If you ask Berinvar about his Necklace, Jaheira will be very
curious as to why Harper's would wear such things... how odd.

There are 4 rooms to the right, the entrance to which is in the
south. There are all manner of treasures to be found here, spells
gold and potions. The Eye Painting is both TRAPPED and LOCKED and
has a Helm of Charm Protection. In the northern room on the table
you will find your own Harper Amulet (x 1000 y 300). How
convenient! Put the Amulet on and go upstairs.

Here you will meet up with some Spectral Harpists. Since you are
wearing the Amulet they will answer most any of your questions.
You can ask them about Montaron (thief), but they answer in
riddles. Search the bookshelves here for some treasures (the
spell Phantom Blade is most useful). Open the door to the southern
room (x 760 y 1030) and then the next door as well. Search the
desk here (x 710 y 1200) to find the Note. Read it. Well that
explains Montaron.

Open the northern door (x 915 y 530) to find the Giant Bird Cage.
Open the door to the cage, and send someone inside, as far north
as they can go. You will notice that the mouse cursor makes as
though you can grab something in here, do so and you will catch a
bird (20,000 exp).

Return to Xzar and give him the Bird (Montaron). He mentions that
someone broke into his laboratory and killed his apprenti. Hmmm...
Anyway he turns Montaron back into human form. But it wasn't
really Montaron, it was Lucette, an assassin meant to kill Xzar for
spying on the Harpers for the Zhentarim. In other words, the
Harpers used you to get back at Xzar. You killed his apprenti,
you were allowed to see what they needed you to see, and you
delivered the assassin right to him. You will want to search Xzar
for treasure (Staff Spear, Spells, Gems, Bracers, etc.).

Also, if you go back into the Harper's and search the second floor,
you will find Montaron's body in a chest. This is worth 20,000
experience.

After that Jaheira is summoned to the Harpers by Meronia.... (if
you are in a romance with Jaheira, Meronia may take longer to show
up)

QUEST: Summoned before the Harpers

When Jaheira returns she tells you that the Harpers want to meet
with you. Head back to the Harpers place and go inside. If you
are in a "relationship" with Jaheira, then Meronia won't show up
immediately after Xzar.

Trick: Although "fake talk" doesn't work in here (Galvarey has
to talk to you before he can die), you can use the spell
Silence in a similar manner. (Gareth Embrey)

You will then be questioned by Galvarey. No matter what you say to
him in answer to his questions, he sees what he wants to see. Soon
it becomes obvious that he means you harm. Jaheira decides to
break with the Harpers and help you out (quite the lifestyle
change!). You will then be forced into a deadly conflict with
Galvarey and his Harper Goons.

Once they're dead, be sure to check them for treasures. Some of
which are:

Ring of Wizardry
Two Handed Sword +1
Plate Mail +1
Cloak of Protection +1

And that is that for the Harpers within Athkatla.

QUEST: Revianne & Dermin the Harpers

This doesn't necessarily happen in the Docks as Dermin will track
Jaheira down, but this only happens if you do the previous Quest
(killing Galvarey).

Four days after the events in the Harper's Hold, Revianne appears
and wants to fight you. Handle this how you will. (Oddly, she
didn't show up the first time through the game, but did the second)

About a week after the events in the Harper's Hold, Dermin appears
and tells Jaheira that he has been sent to kill her. She doesn't
want to fight him as he was her friend. Instead they talk things
through and she renounces her standing as a Harper.

Dermin leaves for now.

Then later he returns and says that Jaheira's death has been
arranged unless she goes with him. If she does that then you will
be spared. She agrees to think about it, no more.

Dermin leaves again.

QUEST: Jaheira Leaves the Party (again)

Harper Base - Docks (AR 0300, x 1320 y 2930)

The next time you sleep, Jaheira will have left the party. Soon a
strange Mage arrives and gives you a note explaining why she has
left. She didn't want to burden you with her problems with the
Harpers. She has gone to Harper Hold in Athkatla and wants you to
NOT follow her.

Return to the Harper Hold. Inside you must deal with a group of
mercenaries. Go upstairs and you will find Jaheira. She is
surprisingly happy to see you. She doesn't believe that the
Harper's here are Harper's any more. As evidence she points to
the disappearance of the Spectral Harpers. Jaheira joins with you
again, but a new group of Mercenaries (a much tougher group)
appears downstairs waiting for you. These mercenaries are more
annoying having a Mage and a Cleric with them. Be sure to check
them for treasure when they are dead.

QUEST: Jaheira & Dermin Finale

Again this quest can take place anywhere. About two weeks or so
after you have finished getting Jaheira out of the Harper Hold,
Dermin will appear with several goons. Jaheira and him have it out
with a war of words first, then the actual battle begins.

Dermin - 5000 exp
Amulet of Protection +1
Bracers AC 5
Other minor treasures

Also be sure to check out his goons for more minor treasures.
After the battle Jaheira is quite a bit upset about this recent
turn of events.

QUEST: Terminsel the Harper

A long, long time (Real Time, so you can't just Rest to get this)
after this last event, Terminsel appears and asks Jaheira if what
she did was right. Did she feel that following you, a child of
Bhaal, was the right thing to do in that situation. She says,
"yes" and Terminsel gives her the Harper Pin, a nifty little amulet
with some special powers. This requires that you have at least
a 15 reputation.

Also, if you and Jaheira are in a romance, and your reputation is
at least 10, then your main character will also be given a whopping
100,000 experience.

Oh, and Terminsel? His name is an anagram for... Elminster.

Impatient? Force Terminsel to show up via cheating:

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("TerminselSpawn","GLOBAL",5)
CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("jatermin")

QUEST: Renal Bloodscalp, the Shadow Thief (Thieves Stronghold)

Renal's Entrance - Docks (AR 0300, x 900 y 1200)
Mae'Var's Guild - Docks (AR 0300, x 3050 y 2500)
Rayic Gethras - Docks (AR 0300, x 1515 y 2222)

Enter the Shadow Thief guild through the Side Door to get right to
Renal. Talk to him and he'll have a quest for you, naturally. He
doesn't trust Mae'Var, who runs the other Shadow Thief guild in
this area. He wants you to go and infiltrate Mae'Var's guild and
find some evidence of wrongdoing. He gives you papers with which
to infiltrate the guild and instructions on what to do.

Head out, and south, then east to get to Mae'Var's Guild. Enter.
Talk to Gorch behind the counter and give him the documents. We
can now open the doors behind him. Open the top door. Then go
down the stairs. Open the secret door on the wall, and go forward
until you meet Mae'Var.

Mae'Var's first job for you is to steal the amulet off of the
Weathermistress Ada, priestess of Talos. Go to the Temple District
and enter the temple. You have two options, either wait until she
is asleep and steal it from the chest by her bed, or if she is
awake, pick pocket her until you get it. (20,000 exp) Return to
Mae'Var and give him the amulet for another 29,500 exp.

Evil Note: If you are Evil you will be sent to steal a Statuette
of Lathander from their temple. You must break into
their safe and swipe the statue. During the daytime
the safe is guarded, so go at night when the guards
are asleep. This depends on Reputation, not
alignment.

For the next job, you need to go talk with Edwin, who is on the
top floor of this building. He wants you to kill a local Cowled
Mage by the name of Rayic Gethras. Rayic's home is far left of
here, just above the Harper's lair. If the door is open, invite
yourself on in. The main floor is covered in Mephits. There are
a couple of spells on this level (one in a trapped bookcase). Go
up. There are several Golems on this level. You can also search
the middle bed for some gold. Go to the next level. (but be ready
for a Mage battle) Kill Rayic. Then search his table to find a
Mislead spell.

Rayic Gethras - 9000 exp
Bracers AC 7
Staff +2

Trick: I found that when I confronted Rayic, he asked me to
leave. I agreed, but instead of leaving, I proceeded to
attack him. He spouted something off along the lines of
'I warned you, you should have left', but strangely did
not turn hostile. I attacked him, but he still did not
turn hostile. Therefore, he did not cast any protective
spells (his contingency stoneskin kicked in but that was
it), and was that much easier to dispatch. (David Haire)

Return to Edwin. (20,000 exp) Edwin has one last job for you to
accomplish for him. He wants you to get some Documents off of a
pudgy man named Marcus, who is at the Sea's Bounty Inn. Well,
that's close. Enter the main level of the Inn. You have three
options to try: steal the documents, threaten him to get the
documents and buy them for 200-250 gold. Female characters can
also charm the documents from him. Take the documents to Edwin for
10,000 exp. He then refers you back to Mae'Var.

Mae'Var wants you to take out a "traitor" named Embarl who is at
the Sea's Bounty Inn. All you need is his dagger, so you needn't
kill Embarl. You can ask him for his dagger if that makes you
happier. Give the dagger to Mae'Var for 18,750 experience.

He then tells you to talk to Edwin again. Do so, and Edwin
threatens to tell everyone who you are and why you are here. Agree
to Edwin's demands to be in on the action and let him join (if you
want). Either way he has the Key to Mae'Var's strongbox which
contains the Evidence we need. (remember why we came here in the
first place?) Go downstairs. You will find the Strongbox at
(x 500 y 300), use the key to open it and take the incriminating
evidence. There are also some:

Boots of Stealth

Go back to Renal and present him the evidence. (48,250 exp) All
that remains now is to go back and kill Mae'Var. Of course, now
every thief within Mae'Var's guild is your enemy.

Mae'Var - 14,000 experience
Shadow Armor (AC 4, +15% Hide in Shadows)
Gems and Gold (etc.)

You can then go through the entire compound and loot it extensively
to get lots of neat items:

Buckler +1 (found in the safe on the second level)
Studded Leather +1
Short Sword +2
Spear +1
Lots of Gold & Gems (be sure to check the "doors" on the 2nd lvl)

Return to Renal to get your final reward:

Short Sword of Backstabbing +3
10,500 gold
45,500 quest experience

QUEST: Jaheira gets Cursed

Sea's Bounty Inn - Docks (AR 0300, x 2125 y 2133)
Baron Ployer - Sea's Bounty Inn (AR 0313, x 475 y 340)
Bernard - Copper Coronet (by the counter, he moves around)
Derelict House - Slums (AR 0400, x 2425 y 720)

When you enter the Sea's Bounty Inn main floor, Baron Ployer talks
to Jaheira. He was apparently ruined by her and the Harpers for
doing evil things and he isn't too pleased about it. So, he had
Jaheira cursed. Once Ployer has his magelings curse Jaheira, he
teleports away. Jaheira can think of three ways to track him down:
Search for his house in the slums, talk to Bernard in the Copper
Coronet about Belgrade and talk to a Clerk in the Government Ward.

Warning: You have 2 weeks before the curse kills Jaheira.

Head out to the Government Ward. Enter the Council building and
talk to Corneil. Then go outside. Just outside of the Council
Building you will find the Mage Terrece, one of the three who
cursed Jaheira in the first place. Talk to him. (3,2,2) He will
turn on Ployer and allow you to attack him without the mages
getting further involved. His price? 1000 gold. If your Charisma
is at least 14 you can barter him down to 500. For this you gain
10,250 experience. Or, you can talk him into killing Ployer for
you for 2000 gold and get 19,750 experience. Then immediately
afterwards, kill Terrece to get 5000 exp and your money back.

Now we go to talk to Bernard in the Copper Coronet, so off to
the Slums! Bernard tells you that Belgrade is dead, and by
the looks of things by a curse similar to what Jaheira is under.
He mentions that the body was found in the east part of the slums,
so that is where we will go. Head out of the Coronet, east, then
north to the derelict house just to the left of the Slaver's ship.

Enter the house and you'll find Ployer. If you didn't go out and
bribe Terrece you will have a large Mage battle on your hands.
(Silence 15' works wonders.) However, with the bribe in place,
Ployer attempts to summon help, but ends out with nothing. If you
bribed Terrece, then you can either let them kill Ployer, or you
can kill the Mages first to get their experience and items (using
the "Fake Talk" strategy, they will die quickly). Then you can
deal with Ployer. His attitude changes quite a bit when no one
shows up to help him. No matter what you do at this point you end
out with a Lock of Jaheira's Hair and Ployer is a corpse. If you
chose to let Ployer live, Jaheira will whack him anyway and you get
another 21,250 exp. Once Jaheira has her Hair back in her
possession she starts feeling better and you gain 21,250
experience. There are some other minor treasures to be found here
as well.

To uncurse Jaheira, simply sleep at an Inn until she is no longer
cursed. (may take more than 1 rest)

QUEST: Restore Kangaxx the Demi-Lich (from Taganath)

Kangaxx's House - Docks (AR 0300, x 2700 y 2270)
Arms & Legs - Sewers (AR 0202, x 1700 y 500)
Torso - Bridge (AR 0500, x 1600 y 3340)

The house to the right of the Sea's Bounty Inn holds a terrible
secret. De-trap and unlock the door, go into the house and into
the basement. When you double-click on the sarcophagus, Kangaxx
asks you to retrieve his body, which has been scattered around
Athkatla. His arms and legs are in the sarcophagus in the sewers
under the temple district on the same screen as the cult of the
eyeless. You have to fight the Shade Lich for them. His torso is
located in the basement of a house in the Bridge section in yet
another Sarcophagus and is guarded by the Elemental Lich. (you can
find more detailed instructions on these Liches in the appropriate
sections)

Once you have both pieces, return to Kangaxx and he gloats at you,
then attack you. When you kill him he becomes a Demilich. I think
the Demilich is only hit by +4 weapons or better and you need be at
a very high level to have any chance of killing him. The easy way
to kill him (or any creature that relies on magic) is to get
several green scrolls of protection from magic and use them on your
party, then simply surround him with your protected characters and
attack until he is dead, as all of his offensive magic is useless
and he has no physical attack. Your reward for doing this is the
excellent Ring of Gaxx (Regen., Protection from Poison, AC +2) and
55,000 experience.

Warning: You CANNOT use the "fake talk" strategy on Kangaxx!
Doing so will prevent him from EVER dying! You must
beat him normally!

Note: Berserked characters also can't be imprisoned.

Tip: I found out an awesome way to kill the demi-lich. The
ring of the ram does full damage to the lich. That can
take out about thirty of his hit points right there.
The best new thing I just found out is not that
though. The Slayer can not be imprisoned! You just do
the Slayer change and then keep wailing on the lich
until he is dead. You just have to do it quick before
being the Slayer kills you. (from Drew NA)

OTHER: The Mad Cleric

Cleric - Docks near Shadow Thieves (AR 0300, x 1680 y 790)

Those crazy followers of Cyric have a strange approach to
conversion. Pretty much anything you say to this guy results in a
fight. (750 exp, very minor treasures) You can avoid this fight
if you say that he's "preaching to the choir," but then you lose
the mighty 750 exp!

OTHER: Pirates of the Sea's Bounty

Sea's Bounty Inn - Docks (AR 0300, x 2125 y 2133)
Secret Door - Sea's Bounty (AR 0313, x 515 y 160)

Within the Sea's Bounty is a secret door (northwestern wall, main
floor). Inside that there are several Pirates. They aren't worth
much, but hey, it's better than Goblins. Once they're dead, search
their pool for treasure: Pearls, Pearl Necklace, 1100 gold.

OTHER: Free Battle Axe +1

Box - Docks (AR 0300, x 2240 y 2825)

Just east of the Harper's (Galvarey Estate) is a small box that has
a Battle Axe +1 (and some minor treasures). Nothing great, but
it's better than the other treasures around here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.15 } } } } Trademeet (AR 2000)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When you first arrive in Trademeet you find a city under siege by nature.
Something has caused the animals to attack the city, and the people suspect
that the Druids are to blame.

Companions:
-----------

Cernd 13 9 13 12 18 13 Human Shapeshifter True Neutral

Cernd was investigating the strange occurrences around Trademeet when he
was brought in by the locals.

Found at: Trademeet (talk to the Mayor)
Event: When Cernd enters any of the major districts in Athkatla he
learns that he is a Father. (See the Waukeen's Promenade section)

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Wilfred the Red (from John Knudson)

Tent - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 315 y 3015)

At a tent outside of Trademeet, you can find an arrogant sop named
Wilfred the Red. Talk to Wilfred, who asks who you are, then when
he offers to tell his story tell him you're listening and last say
his story is a lie. You receive 1000 exp and 1000 gold. Correct
conversation thread is 1,1,2. This requires a character with high
INT to talk to him.

QUEST: Solve the Animal Troubles of Trademeet

Mayor's House - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 1300 y 2300)
Druid Temple - Druid Grove (AR 1900, x 850 y 300)

Since we were originally asked to come here to solve this problem,
it should be the one you work on first (although you should also
work on the Genie Embargo at the same time, see below). Head over
to the Mayor's House and go inside. You will find the Mayor in a
side office to the right. Talk to Logan Coprith. You will learn
of their troubles and that they have captured a druid. Logan
thinks that this Druid had nothing to do with it, and asks that
you go talk to him and escort him out of the city. Go into the
basement.

Talk to Cernd and let him join for the moment. Sure he is the
weakest human in existence, but he isn't a bad guy. Transform him
into a werewolf and leave him like that. Exit the town and go over
to the Druid Grove.

Evil Note: There is an alternative way to do this quest, see the
next quest, 'Evil Method of Druid Removal', below.

There are trolls around, so be sure that you have a way to kill
them (fire or acid). There are two structures that we must pass to
get to our goal, the Druids. First we go by the Troll Mound. This
plays a part in various other plots (notably the Druid Grove
quests), but isn't important to us right now. You can go in it and
kill the trolls if you want. Second we go by a large building.
This building contains the Rakshasa's needed to finish the Genie
Embargo quest (see below). Past those is our goal, the Druid
Enclave.

Note: Just below the Rakshasa's house is a small tower, within
you will find the Scimitar of Speed +2: Belm.

So, from the entrance, head left to the Troll Mound (x 900 y 2500).
Along the way you may meet a "helpful" druid. Once there you can
go in if you want:

Bracers of Archery
Spear of the Unicorn +2

Go up, then right. (x 1340 y 1200) This leads to a group of
Druids fighting trolls. If you help the Druids and fight off the
trolls for them, then the druids turn on you and attack. So, you
may as well not do anything, let the druids get killed then kill
the trolls. Go down and right, then right to another group of
stupid druids. Yes, they must be killed as well. Head right
across the rock bridge (x 3400 y 1500). This leads directly to
the Rakshasa house if you want to do that quest now. Go up, then
left.

Cross this bridge then keep going left (fight the Myconids if you
feel like it). You will soon reach the final group of druids
(not the leader) who again attack you:

Flame Tongue +1
Club +2: Gnasher

Enter the temple. Go left to find Faldorn the Shadow Druid. (Save
it here) Have a Druid in your party (Either you, Jaheira or Cernd)
challenge her for supremacy. They will be thrown naked into a pit
(by naked I mean no armor) to fight it out. Before they challenge,
you can cast any spells you want on your Druid, such as Iron Skins,
Haste, or whatever. When Faldorn dies the first time, she turns
into a fiercer panther. When that dies you get 14,000 experience
and have cleared out the Grove. If your main character is a Druid
you can challenge for leadership of the Grove.

Duncan Clay has a battle tip for dealing with Faldorn:

Before you fight Faldorn, stand your party next to the pit. Get
your druid (I used Jaheira) to give their stuff to someone in
your group. When your druid enters the pit, pause the game and
equip all their stuff. Interestingly, although you are in combat
(can't save) you can equip your armor. Jaheira had AC-11 and the
Gnasher club and won easily without casting a single spell. I
didn't even see a panther.

Head back to Trademeet. (the easiest way out of the Grove is to go
left after you leave the temple) Talk to the Mayor to get your
reward:

2000 gold
18,000 experience for each character

He will also ask that you help them out with their Genie problem.

QUEST: Evil Method of Druid Removal (from Dominic)

The first thing I did when I entered Trademeet was talk to
Guildmistress Busya. She is in the Mayor's house. Then I talked to
the Mayor, he asked me to talk to Cernd. I didn't take Cernd into
my party, instead we agreed on meeting each other in the druid
grove.

Anyway, a halfling (Lord Khellon Menold) walks up to me and
initiates a dialog. This is the guy who gives you the poison. He
asks if I'm the mercenary hired to save them, and whether or not
I'm capable of defeating the druids. Unless I tell him to get out
of my way he will answer that he is to become the next High
Merchant. I ask him about Logan knowing about his position, he asks
me what Logan wanted me to do. I tell him about Cernd and our
investigation. After that, he will show his dislike for nature and
druids and whatnot. Then, he proposes an alternate quest.

"Allow me to present a bit of background to you. It will help you
understand the trials ahead and what you must do."

"This is not the first problem we've had with these freaks, these
tree-huggers. Far from it. Last year, my company was to open a
caravan route through the forest."

He tells you about how he attacked a druid (who was defending the
forest), and killed some other druids. Jaheira wants you to ignore
him. The druids went to Trademeet and blamed Lord Khellon Menold
for instigation and murder. He wants his revenge by poisoning the
grove. At this point he will give you the poison should you choose
to accept his task.

Meet him again outside the tavern after you accomplished the task.

Meet Cernd in the grove and tell him Jaheira will take up the
challenge.

The party gets 24500 exp. for pouring the poison in the font (could
be some more or some less). Doing so will make all the druids
complain and attack you. The Guardian of the Font (4000 exp.) will
call Faldorn (I didn't get exp. for her... strange?) and they both
attack you.

When Faldorn is dead, Master Verthan (2000 exp.) warps in and wants
you dead. He summons some creatures: 2 grizzly bears and 2
panthers. Kill them. You won't get the Staff of Lightning this way.
None of the druids have any treasure (well, not exactly true... one
of them had a Charm Person Scroll).

When you get out, Cernd will have nothing to say to you. As in, you
can't initiate a dialog with him. Weird.

Back in Trademeet Lord Khellon Menold rewards you with 1000 gold
and a Shield of Harmony +2. At this point you'll probably get some
exp., but I don't know how much. The Guildmistress thanks you, but
Logan is quite angry with you (reputation decreased 1). I haven't
found a way to calm him down. Which means that you won't be heroes
of Trademeet and you don't get the family feud quest.

Some other information:
At the beginning of the quest I had an evil party with reputation
12. It consisted of Jaheira (leader, lvl 10/12), Korgan (lvl 12),
Yoshimo (lvl 16), me (kensai mage, lvl 12/11), Viconia (lvl 12) and
Edwin (lvl 12). (again, this Quest was from Dominic)

QUEST: The Genie Embargo

Genie Tent - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 3500 y 2900)
Rakshasa House - Druid Grove (AR 1900, x 4400 y 900)

If you talk around everyone will be talking of one of two things,
the animals assaulting the town, or the genies preventing the
normal flow of trade. Near the eastern entrance to town is a blue
tent that holds these genies. Go in and talk to them.

Tip: Pickpocket the genie outside of the tent to get a Bottle of
Efreeti Summoning (Ken Adams).

Talk to the Khan about what they are doing there and he'll reveal
that they are there hunting a Rakshasa and until they do they are
holding the city's trade hostage. Agree to bring him the head of
the Rakshasa in exchange for letting the city go (and some treasure
to boot). You can also buy items from him. (of course, until you
solve this they are the only people you can buy from)

After you talk to Khan Zahraa, if you go outside Trademeet's
Northeast Gate (near the City Crypt), you will meet up with a
Shadow Thief who wishes to impart to you information on the
Rakshasa location for free (they want business to return to normal
so that they can have their 'share'). She will disclose some
information on the potion seller that suggests that she has been
'replaced' by the Rakshasa. (Rolander)

When you get to the Druid Grove (you have to do the above quest in
order to get there) follow the path past the Troll Mound, and
across the bridge to find the Rakshasa House. Enter it. Talk to
the woman here and she turns into Ihtafeer and teleports in two
Rakshasa friends to help out. (If you have Keldorn -- or Jan -- in
your party, he'll detect Ihtafeer's evilness, regardless of whether
you accepted this quest)

Ihtafeer - 15,000 experience
Head
Periapt of Proof Against Poison

Another Rakshasa had a Cleric's Staff. There are also some magic
arrows in a chest on the upper level.

Return with the Head to the Djinn to end the Embargo. The Khan
also gives you a Scimitar +2: Rashad's Talon and 10,000 experience.
Then go to Guildmistriss Busya in the Mayor's house to get a
further reward:

7500 Gold
Gems and Necklaces
Small Shield +2: Harmony (immune to charm)

Finally talk to the mayor to get another 2000 gold and become the
Heroes of Trademeet!

25,250 experience for each Character
10,750 Gold
Reputation +1

You will also be approached by the two leading houses of Trademeet,
each of whom want you to do them favors (see The Two Feuding Houses
below). Also your likeness now graces the town statue, as you
are the Heroes of Trademeet. (If Cernd was a Werewolf at the time
his statue is particularly... lifelike! Similar things happen if
other party members are polymorphed.)

QUEST: Tiris the Frightened and the Return of the Tanner

Tiris' Home - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 1275 y 900)
Darsidian Moor - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 80 y 2860)
Rejiek - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 3715 y 2030)

After you have completed the first two quests, Jenia will approach
you, the Hero of Trademeet, and ask that you go talk to Tiris. Go
up to Tiris' home (the one just to the left of the Smithy) and talk
to Tiris. He tells you that he left his love to die (not on
purpose) and that the evil-doer is Rejiek, who we all know and love
as the Tanner who flayed peasants alive in Athkatla. He tells you
to check by the southwest gate.

Go out the western gate and go south near the tent to find a
"hunter" named Darsidian Moor. He is hunting what he calls a Skin
Dancer, who may be Rejiek and could use your help. He tells you
to follow him eastwards.

From the main plaza (with the tiled face on the ground) go east
and you will find Darsidian and "Raissa". They tell you to finish
off Rejiek. Talk to him instead and it turns out that Rejiek and
Raissa are reversed. The ruse fails and Darsidian and Rejiek
attack you. (They steal the skins of people, if you are wondering)
Kill them.

The real Raissa then rises up and asks you to help her. In order
to prevent her from becoming like Rejiek she needs someone to cast
Restoration on her. (or Lesser Restoration) If one of your Clerics
doesn't have that spell go to the Temple and buy the scroll. Come
back and cast it on her. She returns to normal and you get 30,000
experience. If you don't heal her in time, she'll go hostile on
you.

Infinite Exp Bug: When you kill the two skin dancers, talk to
Raissa and she gets up and tells you she is one of the skin
dancers, and asks you for a restoration spell to "fix" her.
She doesn't have the money, so she wants you to cast one on
her. If you don't have one, you can go buy one, and she will
wait right where you found her. I took the opportunity
to surround her, so she couldn't get away. Then cast the
spell, and she says thank you and you get 30,000 exp points.
Pause, and talk to her, and she repeats her "thank you" line
and you get another 30,000 exp. (wvfoos)

Return to Tiris' Home and talk to his parents to get a Reputation
Increase of 1.

Rolander found a few different ways to handle this quest:

Not-so-good and bad ending for this quest. If you kill off the
disguised Raissa, 'Raissa' would want to return to Tiris herself.
If you insist on escorting her back, the skin dancers would break
cover and attack. Then you return to Tiris to tell him about the
bad news. If you let 'Raissa' go off herself, when you return to
Tiris's home, Tiris would have been conned into leaving with
'Raissa', for good and his parents fear that he would never be
seen again. In both these outcomes, you don't get the Rep+1

QUEST: The Two Feuding Houses

Alibakkar Estate - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 1000 y 1280)
Crypt - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 3200 y 550)

At the little party they throw you for being the Heroes of
Trademeet, two nobles approach you and ask for your assistance in
becoming the only noble house in Trademeet. Go to one of their
homes afterwards (I went to Alibakkar). Talk to the noble there
and they will give you the key to the city crypt. They want you
to obtain for them the Mantle of Waukeen, which will prove their
superiority over the other house.

Head out to the crypt and go inside. Before you manage to do that
the Mayor comes up to you and tells you not to give the Mantle to
the nobles as it will only make their feud worse. Enter. You will
find the Mantle on one of the Skeletal Warriors within. Take it.

Now you have two options as to what to do. Give the Mantle to the
Mayor is the non-violent solution. (Reputation +1, 8000 experience,
and 250 gold) Or there is the violent solution. Give one of the
nobles the Mantle, and they soon attack each other and YOU. Then
you must fight the nobles and their guards. The Lord has a set
of Elven Chainmail (AC 5).

Of course, you could give the Mantle to the Mayor, then go kill the
Lord anyway with no loss of reputation.

QUEST: Mazzy's Family's Quest

Mazzy's Home - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 2740 y 1000)

Some time after you have Mazzy in your party (this is Real time,
not game time), Danno will approach her and ask for help. Seems
that he gave his girlfriend, Mazzy's sister, a Love potion that
went awry and her life now hangs in the balance. Return to
Trademeet and enter the Fentan home.

Pala, her sister, is on her death bed having been poisoned by
Wallace, the gnome who sold the potion in the first place. Now we
must go out and find that gnome. You will find the gnome in the
marketplace in the southern part of town. When you approach, Mazzy
automatically talks to him. (6750 experience) He tells you that
the potion came from a new Cleric of Waukeen. Go to the temple.

Talk to the priest here and tell him what you know of the other
cleric, Barl. He agrees to search his room. He comes back and
says that he found some evidence of wrongdoing. Barl is summoned
forth and very soon you are in a battle with him and some Poison
Mists. When he is dead, Mazzy finds a bottle (25,000 exp) that may
be an antidote.

You are automatically taken to Mazzy's home again, where the potion
is used and Pala is cured. Mazzy asks to stay with her for a day.

OTHER: Your Fortune

Fortune-teller - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 1060 y 3030)

There is a group of gypsies (not called gypsies, but that is what
they are) outside the town. The woman there will tell you your
fortune, but she doesn't seem to like what she sees.

Also you can have other party members talk to her and she will
tell their fortunes as well. (Max Chen)

OTHER: Neeber

Neeber - Trademeet (AR 2000, x 2433 y 1240)

Talk to Neeber about 15 times and he'll give you some Bullets +2.
And everyone also gets 1000 experience.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. } } } } Chapter 3: The Guild War
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When the party has gained over 15,000 gold, while in the city, you will
be confronted by two interested parties. The first, a thief named Valen,
tells you to meet her mistress in the Graveyard. This is the evil track.
The second, Brus -- whom we met before -- tells you to go back to Gaelan.

There are many other examples of the guild war. At night throughout the
city you will see thieves and vampires conversing, attacking and whatnot.
Sansuki, a thief, will beg you for aid. You can fight off his vampire
enemies to get 8500 experience (plus what the vampires are worth). There
are other fights as well, and you can get involved in them if you wish.

The next two sections are mutually exclusive. If you work for the Shadow
Thieves, you CAN'T work for Bodhi and vice versa.

Once you pay your money you start Chapter 3 and get to watch as Jon
Irenicus breaks free of the Cowled Wizards prison. Spiffy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1 } } } } Working for the Shadow Thieves
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- TALK TO ARAN LINVAIL

Once you have paid your 15,000 gold to Gaelan, he gives you a key and
tells you to go talk with Aran Linvail, the TRUE power behind the Shadow
Thieves. (Renal Bloodscalp is for tourists) Head over to the Docks and
enter the Shadow Thieves guild from the main door.

Open the northeastern door to reach the back room. There search the
wall to find the Secret Door (which is locked with the key Gaelan sold
you). (x 1375 y 330) Go down the stairs here.

Note: If you lost the key, the item code to create it is: misc4s

Welcome to the TRUE Shadow Thieves Guild. On this level you will find
all sorts of crazy things. Thieves training with all manner of objects,
spells, and whatnot. We don't need to get involved in any of that
(although it is quite interesting, and has a few items to boot), so just
open up the secret door (x 1560 y 1800). Go down this hallway all the
way until you reach Aran's room. Talk with him and agree to help him
beat the other guild. In exchange he gives you some items:

Amulet of Power (5% magic res., reduces casting time)
Ring of Protection +2

- JOB 1: HELP MOOK AT THE DOCKS

Wait until nightfall and head down to where the ships are loaded where
you will find the thief, Mook. (x 1700 y 3625) Talk to her to get things
rolling. She has seen some guy wandering around looking suspicious.
Soon the guy shows up and she goes up to talk to him. Soon he kills her,
and you must fight him. When you get him beat, he turns to mist and
floats away. You will have to deal with Lassal again later.

Return to Aran Linvail, and tell him what transpired. He gives everyone
in your party 28,500 experience and another job.

- JOB 2: PREVENT MORE THIEVES FROM LEAVING

Aran tells you that several of his thieves are suspected of wanting to
leave the guild. You are to meet with these thieves on the second floor
of the Five Flagons Inn in the Bridge District where they are to meet
with their contact from the rival guild. You will find these thieves
in the second room on the left.

Pretend to be on their side (like you are switching as well), then when
they ask you who you are there to see, turn the tables on them and
accuse them of spying on you. (3,3,1) They accidentally reveal the
name of their contact to be Gracen before attacking you.

Then wait for the Guild Contact to arrive. He asks what is going on.
Reply with 4) Nothing, Gracen... and he thinks that you are they. He
tells you to meet under the graveyard, past the big blue doors. Then
kill the Contact as he is of no more use to you (plus whatever you say
leads to him attacking you). Return to Aran.

Report to him what has happened and everyone gets 28,500 experience.
Oh, and he has one last job for you.

- JOB 3: CLEAR OUT THE VAMPIRE NEST

He wants you to go underneath the Graveyard, and clear out the vampires.
In order to get the big doors open, he will be sending a mage to assist.
He also gives you a lot of wooden stakes with which to kill the vampires.

When you're ready, head on out to the Graveyard and go down into the
crypts (x 650 y 1820). Now we need to go to the top crypts to find our
mage who will have his Golem open the big doors for us (x 1725 y 1475).
Be prepared for a battle with vampires.

Lassal soon appears, taunts you and vanishes. He sets his Grimwarders
to attack you. They are like invisible skeletons. (4000 exp) The mage
always manages to get himself killed here. Oh well. Forward!

Take a left (x 1000 y 950) after Lassal taunts you again. Here you will
fight your first vampire, Gellal (14,500 exp). Notice how it turns to
mist. That means that you haven't actually KILLED him, simply destroyed
his current form. Follow this passage left, then down. Enter the first
room on the left and kill the Clay Golem. There are three coffins in
here, one of which is now occupied by Gellal (x 340 y 1360). Notice how
the mouse turns to the sword icon? Go up to the coffin and Stake the
Vampire (9000 exp). Every time you kill a vampire with a Name, come back
here to finish it off. If you need more stakes, you can find a pair in
the room to the south.

Open the big obvious secret door (x 450 y 1250). Within this room are a
Greater Ghoul, a Fledgling Vampire and another Vampire named Durst. When
Durst is dead, go back to the previous room to Stake him. (9000 exp)
Search the pool of blood (click it twice) to get: (x 400 y 700)

Mace of Disruption +1 (kills undead, can be upgraded with Illithium)

Open the right wall to return to the main room. (x 700 y 750) Go now
right in the bottom passage (x 1630 y 715) until you bump into a few more
vampires. One of them, Tanova, casts spells and such. (10,000 exp) And
despite having a "name" when you kill her she doesn't retreat to a
coffin. Further to the right is a Spiked Room. Don't go here yet as
there is nothing to see. Now go down the stairs (x 1550 y 565).

Follow this Ghoul filled passageway to the door. This brings up a battle
with 3 vampires and 4 Grimwarders. Nothing tough. If you have trouble
with it, stay within the passage and fight the monsters one at a time as
they come through the door (doesn't work on the archers).

In the left room you will find a trapped chest of treasure (x 1040 y 200)

Ashen Scale (AC 2)
Katana +2

In the right room you will find Lassal. He taunts you and tells you to
meet him upstairs in the bladed room. Go upstairs and follow his
instructions. You will find him at the top right of the bladed room.
Kill him (11,500 exp).

Return to the room of coffins and Stake Lassal (9000 exp). With that
done, Bodhi appears. She talks to you for a LOOOONG time about the
Shadow Thieves (she says you can't trust them), Imoen (who escaped your
notice) and Irenicus. Then, of course, you do battle. She soon flees
(18,750 exp) leaving you to wonder about things.

Keep a Stake around, you'll need at least one for later.

- TO SPELLHOLD

Return to Aran Linvail and talk to him. He has a lot of explaining to
do! For this everyone in the party gets 50,000 experience points. He
explains how the Shadow Thieves found Irenicus and whatnot. Then
he has a plan to rescue Imoen. You will sail to the island where the
Asylum called Spellhold is located. There you can formulate a plan to
break in and steal Imoen out. When you are ready, take his offer of a
ship to Spellhold. But, be warned, you won't be coming back to Athkatla
for a VERY long time!

This is continued in the Spellhold Section.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.2 } } } } Working for Bodhi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- MEET WITH BODHI

You cannot do this once you have joined with the Shadow Thieves.
Conversely if you join here you won't be able to join the Shadow Thieves.
Also, if the main character is a Thief, then Bodhi won't offer you a job
at all. Finally, if you attacked any of the vampires at night, she won't
appear.

Once you have the 15,000 gold, merely go to the Graveyard at night to
meet with Bodhi, the leader of the "rival guild." Then meet with Bodhi.
She knows much about you and your situation. If you want, give her the
money and she gives you a room in her crypt to rest in if you want. You
are also given a job. Everyone in the party gains 36,750 experience.

- JOB 1: DISRUPT THE SHIPMENT AT THE DOCKS

The first job is the reverse of what you would do with Aran, namely,
disrupt the Shadow Thief shipment and take the cargo back to Bodhi. Go
to the Docks district. Careful, as every Shadow Thief is now your enemy.
Go to the southwest of this area, to the shipyards. (x 1850 y 3615)
Kill the thieves and then search them for treasure:

Shipment (needed for Bodhi)
Rifthome Axe +3 (throwing axe, returns to sender)
Short Sword +2

Return with the shipment to Bodhi. You'll find her in the crypt, main
hall. Give her the item and everyone in the party gets 28,500 exp.

- JOB 2: PICK YOUR TASK

Bodhi takes the shipment and has a choice of two jobs for you, a "noble"
task and a "not so noble" task. You must pick one as you can't do both.

Good: Rescue Palern Flynn from the Shadow Thieves. One of the Shadow
Thieves turned traitor, but was captured and is currently being
interrogated. You must break into the Shadow Thieves compound,
go to the second floor and rescue Palern. You have about one day
to complete this before he is killed.

Go to the Docks. This is easiest done by going in the side door
on the Shadow Thieves building (x 1000 y 1200) as this leads
directly to the second floor. Clear out the thieves on this level
and then talk to Palern to free him. There are also some minor
treasures on this level.

Return to Bodhi for 28,500 experience for everyone and another
job. (If Palern was killed, you get no experience)

Bad: Kill Senior Armagaran Vulova and implicate the Shadow Thieves.
Bodhi wants you to kill a member of the government and set the
blame to fall on the Shadow Thieves. She gives you a Cloak and a
Dagger for you to place in Vulova's fountain once the deed is
done. Oh, and if you have Good aligned players, they will
complain vociferously about this. Head out to the Government
District.

You will find Vulova's Estate at the very top of the map here
(x 2400 y 133). Walk towards him and he'll automatically talk to
you. You can tell him to just die, at which point you have to
fight his goons. Once he is dead, place the Cloak and Dagger in
his fountain. If you let him live you will not get experience
from Bodhi later.

Return to Bodhi for another 28,500 experience for all party
members and one last job. (and again if you didn't kill Vulova,
you get no experience)

- JOB 3: KILL ARAN LINVAIL

Your final job for Bodhi is to assassinate the secret leader of the
Shadow Thieves, Aran Linvail. You will first need to get the key from
Gaelan, so go back to the Slums. Gaelan's house is just to the left of
Jan Jansen's tower (x 3140 y 1170). Kill Gaelan and take his key. (He
has several other magical weapons, etc.)

Go now to the Docks. Enter the Shadow Thieves Guild from the front
entrance, kill everyone here and loot what you can. Then open the
northeast door and enter this small room. Search for the secret door on
the northeast wall (x 1380 y 330). Open it and go in.

After another battle with thieves here, you will find Tizzak (a member of
Bodhi's guild) just past a door down and right (x 1333 y 2220). He asks
you to kill the torturer to get his key. Go right to find the torturer.
Kill Booter and take his key. Return to Tizzak and free him. He tells
you how to get to Aran. Aran's lair is protected by two magical doors.
The first is opened via a button, while the second requires a key. You
can probably find that key on Haz, Aran's right hand man.

Go up the northwest passage (x 1100 y 1600). At the fork, turn right and
go up. Make your way across this bridge, through the enemies until you
reach the room with the false buildings. Beware of traps in here, they
will Maze you. Head up the northeast passage. This will be heavily
trapped. Here you will find a big red glowing button (x 3550 y 300).
Push it to open the first door.

Back to the false building room, then take the southeast passage. (Beware
of traps and orcs) This leads to a couple of doors, go through those and
up the next passage. Past this passage is a room that contains Haz the
mage. (x 3820 y 1175) Kill Haz and his goons to get the key to Aran's
lair. Go all the way back to where we first entered this level. (x 1333
y 2220) On the way back I was ambushed by Dedral and some Shadow Thieves
(10,000 exp).

Open the secret door on the northeastern wall (x 1550 y 1800). Go all
the way down this passage, through the orcs and elementals through the
first door (which we opened with the button) to the second door (which
you can open with the key). Open it to find Aran Linvail, the
Shadowmaster. Aran has many Shadow Thieves with him, including Mages and
Priests.

Aran Linvail - 17,000 experience
Elven Chainmail +1
Amulet of Power (5% magic res., -1 casting time)
Ring of Protection +2
Short Sword +2
Light Crossbow +2

Also search his chest (x 4500 y 1930) to find more interesting treasures:

Ring of Djinni Summoning
Katana +2

We're done here, head back to Bodhi.

- TO SPELLHOLD

She explains that while you want to help Imoen, she wants to get Irenicus
and access his knowledge. She admits that they are related, and that
what he was attempting to do with you was to free your power. She has
arranged a transport for you to the Spellhold Island, aboard a ship.
Whenever you are ready, tell her you want to go to the island. Careful,
you won't be coming back for a long, long time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. } } } } Chapter 4: Brynnlaw (AR 1600)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

First thing we get to see what Irenicus has been up to all this time,
testing various things on Imoen (and that also explains why Bodhi captured
all those Shadow Thieves). Then you are taken across the sea to the town
of Brynnlaw, which is a stone's throw away from the Asylum Spellhold.

If you followed the Shadow Thieves, then Sime will say that she doesn't
trust Saemon, your captain. He does seem suspicious...

If you followed Bodhi, then Bodhi will have Saemon show you around town
before vanishing into the night. Saemon tells you to seek the tavern,
before ending his tour. He isn't very motivated.

Walkthrough:
------------

- FIND INFORMATION

Once off the Shadow Thieves ship, Saemon turns traitor and has some
Vampires attack you, before vanishing himself. Fight off the three
vampires and Sime will talk to you. She recommends talking to Sanik in
the tavern to discover an entrance to Spellhold.

If you got off Bodhi's Ship, Saemon merely waits by his ship. He also
recommends talking to Sanik in the tavern to gain entrance to Spellhold.

Head out to the Vulgar Monkey Tavern. It is up one level (seeing as the
city is built on several terraced levels), about in the center of the
map (x 2000 y 1550). You will find Sanik inside, he is dressed as a
green mage. Talk with him. He begins telling you some stuff, but is
quickly assassinated in the name of Guildmistress Galvena. The innkeeper
will then talk with you. He provides some details on the situation,
telling you that Sanik's bride likely knows a way into Spellhold, but
that she would be currently held by Galvena. This would require getting
into the Guild, one way or the other.

- GALVENA'S GUILD

We can now enter the Guild (x 1080 y 1485) on the first level of town.
However, talk to one of the Courtesan's just outside the guild and get
them to take you inside (which may require that you buy their services
for 100 gold). Once inside, tell the courtesan that you are there to
rescue Claire and they should leave you alone.

Leave that room. You are in the main hallway, go leftwards. Kill the
guards (one has a Halberd +2). Enter the room to the right of the guards
(x 345 y 195), and search the wardrobe in the back to find Galvena's Key.
Go back to the hall, and enter the last door.

Search the jail until you find Galvena. Tell her that her evil ways are
over, then kill her. (4000 exp) She also has her mage, Vadek, with her
(8000 exp) and they have some minor magical treasures.

Alternatively: When talking to the Courtesans in front of Lady
(from Galvena's Festhall, offer to pay to pry information
Willis Su) about Claire. You can complain about the high fee that
he/she charges you (200 gold!!) and the courtesan will
tell you what you need to know (reputation/charisma
influence?). You will find that the courtesans are
sympathetic to Claire. Offer to kill Galvena to free
the courtesans will also bring you into the Festhall.
Also ask how you might move about the Festhall secretly
without alarming people, and the courtesans will tell
you to obtain a guild pin that all courtesan masters
wear. The Ginia quest can now be completed like it
should.

Talk to the courtesan again and he/she will offer to
take you in (that or you can offer to go in on your own
with the medallion). Once inside, the courtesan offers
you a sleeping potion that you can take to the cooks.
Before heading into the kitchen, the guards will stop
you, and now you can bluff them with your medallion.
Convince Ellie in the kitchen to help you save Claire,
and the courtesan in the kitchen will volunteer to slip
the drugged ale to the guards. In return you have to
promise to rid them of Galvena. Follow the courtesan
to drug the guards. 4,000 exp after they are all
drugged. The Galvena Quest can now be completed as
usual. When Galvena is killed, go back and talk to
Ellie and every one in the party will receive 2,250
exp. There is a bug here, and if you keep talking to
Ellie, you can keep on racking in the 2,250 exp. And
since the guards are drugged, you can finish them off
at your leisure without a nasty fight.

- PERTH THE ADEPT

Talk to Claire and she'll agree to take you to see Golin who may know
how to get into the Asylum. (10,000 exp) Golin thanks you and will even
give you 22 gold (2000 exp). He mentions that only 2 types of people can
enter Spellhold, Cowled Wizards and Magical Deviants. There is one
crazy Cowled Wizard living in town, Perth the Adept who may have a way
in. You can also have the Pirate Captain throw you in there if you
prove to be unstable enough.

The best option is to go find Perth and take his wardstone. You will
find Perth's house at the top of the city (x 3000 y 1200). Perth is
apparently being Dominated by Irenicus as he wants to "test your limits."
Interestingly, Yoshimo tells him that there will no testing with Yoshimo
around, and Perth calls that inconsequential. Hmmm...

Perth - 20,000 experience
Wardstone for the Asylum
Book of Infinite Spells

We can now go to Spellhold (x 3500 y 2).

- PIRATE KING

Alternatively you can go seek the Aid of the Pirate King. Head up to
the pirate king's house, and talk to his door guard (x 1115 y 665). Tell
him that Golin sent you and he'll open the door to the house. You get
38,500 exp for convincing him that you are crazy. And there is no reason
that you can't get Perth's experience then have the Pirate King commit
you. Having trouble convincing him that you're crazy? Let Minsc at him!

SPOILERS

Keeping Yoshimo Note: (from Accord)

"If you really want to keep Yoshi, have him in your party, then before
you enter the Spellhold, go inside an inn (or any building), put him
near the doorway and drop him from the party (and tell him to wait for
you). Once you finished the whole Spellhold drama, head back to where
you drop Yoshi off, as soon as you walk into the inn (or whatever
building he is in), PAUSE the game and command your character to talk
to him. When you talk to him, talk him back into the party. When the
conversation ends and Yoshi is in your party, he will die from the
geas. Just take him to a temple or resurrect him and he is as good as
new."

Note: Yoshimo cannot be taken to Brynnlaw in order for this to work.

"Nerfing" Yoshimo Note: (from Xar)

Since you know when he will betray you, dual him into a mage just
before going through the door. When he reappears with Irenicus he will
be nearly completely useless.

END SPOILERS

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Liberate Ginia the Courtesan

Ginia - Brynnlaw (AR 1600, x 3450 y 1700)
Chremy - Brynnlaw (AR 1600, x 1820 y 1450)
Calahan - Brynnlaw (AR 1600, x 1590 y 1740)

At the top right of the city you will meet a woman named Ginia who
was recently forced into prostitution. Instead, she tries begging
instead and says that she has done the deed. Ask her what the
trouble is. You see, Chremy holds her brother captive, and as long
as he does, she is forced to gather money for him. Agree to help.

You will find Chremy to the left of her. Talk to him. He doesn't
see reason (did you think that he would?), forcing you to kill him.
Interestingly, he has Galvena's Medallion on him, which you could
use to get into Galvena's Guildhall if you wanted. Now we have to
smuggle Ginia out of town. Drop down another level and find
Calahan, the Smuggler.

Talk to Calahan and ask him to get Ginia out of town. For 200 gold
he will smuggle them out to Ulgoth's Beard for you. (2000 exp)
Return to Ginia and tell her the good news (9000 exp).

QUEST: Ason the Little Thief

Ason - Brynnlaw (AR 1600, x 560 y 1170)

In the western part of the city, a young boy will approach you and
swipe 10 gold off of you. He mentions that if he doesn't steal
from you then someone will hit him. This is related to the above
quest about Ginia (Ason is her brother).

OTHER: Pirates

This town is crawling in Pirates. Some will attack you, others
will attack each other. None of them have any good treasures.

OTHER: Priestess of Umberlee

Temple of Umberlee - Brynnlaw (AR 1600, x 2530 y 1600)

Within Brynnlaw there is a temple to the goddess Umberlee. Makes
sense as Umberlee rules the waves. Anyway, you can buy several
interesting objects from her, like a Girdle of Bluntness, but you
can also kill her for no loss of reputation and 14,000 exp.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1 } } } } Spellhold
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

As there are two ways into Spellhold, there are two places you can end up.
If you simply walked to the Asylum using Perth's Wardstone, you must enter
the Asylum on your own. In that case you enter through the front doors.
(x 625 y 1050)

If you asked the Pirate King to have you committed you will find yourself
already inside one of the cell's in the Asylum. However, you won't stay
there long, as soon enough Irenicus teleports in. You can talk to each
of the inmates several times, and some give you items (gems and worthless
scrolls).

If Yoshimo is in your party, he turns traitor. Turns out that he was
working for Irenicus the entire time. Not that he was actually doing
anything to hamper your efforts, but still. Whether he was in your party
or not, the results are the same.

You are drugged and put to sleep, when you awaken you are in the tube...

Walkthrough:
------------

- THE (ALMOST) FINAL DREAM

Remember the three dreams that you had in chapters 2 and 3? Well now is
the time for the (near) Final Dream, and this time you are given control.
After listening to Imoen we're on our way. First thing first, go through
the gate to enter the castle (this is the Dream Candlekeep, and if you
didn't play the first Baldur's Gate, Candlekeep is where that game
started).

If you don't want to lose a stat, see the Alternatively below.

You will find a Demon barring your way. He wants you to make a sacrifice
to enter. What will you sacrifice?

Your mind -1 INT
Your Health -1 CON
Your agility -1 DEX
Your wits -1 WIS

Give up whatever you can afford to give up (fighters should drop Wisdom
or Intelligence, mages Constitution, etc. Try not to give up Dexterity
whatever class you are). You lose whatever you chose to lose, and can
then enter the castle (x 2000 y 1500). Go to the back of this room to
find the dream Imoen. She tells you to "lead the beast here." Sounds
easy enough. Leave the castle.

Go left to find Bhaal (about x 1000 y 1800). Talk to him and get him to
chase you. Now return to the castle, go in and go to Imoen. Don't worry
Bhaal will follow you. Imoen then says she will make it vulnerable.
Attack. Once defeated Bhaal gets irritated.

Alternatively: (from K.C.)

The demon has to take it away from you; you don't simply lose it.
Therefore if the demon never has time to take away your stat you'll
never lose it. Fight Bhaal outside and weaken him to near death
status. Lure him over to the door and talk to the demon just as he's
about to catch up. Choose any stat to sacrifice (it doesn't matter
which). Quickly do a fake-talk as soon as the conversation ends and
use the time to run inside. If you're quick enough you won't lose the
stat. Now when you talk to Imoen the dream will come to an abrupt end
and you'll be transported out of the area without losing anything.

SPOILER: The Imoen in your dream is actually your own soul taken form
to help you out. This is why the dream ends with "Imoen"
screaming... your soul has just been sucked out of you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2 } } } } Maze Beneath Spellhold (AR 1512)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

Bodhi was given the task of killing you, and instead she dumped you in a
maze to play with you some more. She says that she will give you time to
escape and stop Irenicus from his evil plans...

Also you can pick up Imoen again (and you really should, she IS your
sister). I assume that Yoshimo turned traitor to make room for Imoen to
return to your party. If you talk to Imoen, but don't take her with you,
she simply heads back to the surface, where you could get her later.

Due to the nature of this maze, all the optional items (the riddles and
the portal) have been integrated into the walkthrough. This is just for
convenience sake.

Walkthrough:
------------

- EXPLORE THE MAZE

Ok, we are in a big evil maze, and need to find the way out. Don't be
afraid to rest. Sure, Bodhi said you are on a clock but she is an evil
vampire who can't be trusted. Go down the southwest passage, kill
whatever is there (for me it was Umber Hulks and Minotaurs) to find the
big statue head (x 750 y 2100). He asks you to find the Builder's Hand.
Also you can search a pot near him for some spells. Back to the
beginning.

There are now three directions we can travel: Northeast, Northwest and
Southeast. (we've been southwest) Go up the northeast passage first,
(x 2170 y 1200). There is a door dead ahead, open it. Kill the Clay
Golem within. Then you can search for treasure (trapped!):

Bag of Holding (container that holds a lot)
Opal Stone (keep this, it's a key, not a gem)
Rogue Stone (useful if you want to go in that one Bridge door)
Spells - Prismatic Spray (Mage)
Arrows (etc.)

If you go left from this room, it goes up to a corridor with a big nasty
trap that squishes anyone who enters it. So avoid that.

Go back to the start, then go up the northwest passage (x 1300 y 1210)
and open the door to the right (x 1350 y 960). Kill whatever is in here
(Gibberlings). Search the 2 containers in here:

Ruby Stone (keep it)
Spear +3
Magical Arrows (etc.)

- RIDDLES

Head west to the next room (x 760 y 1075) and go in. Welcome to the
riddle room! In the center is a chest full of bizarre riddly objects.
These objects are then placed in the arms of the statue that they solve
the riddle for. Starting from just left of the door and going around,
the riddles are:

Riddle: Answering Object:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
At night I come without being fetched, at Star Medallion
day I am gone without being stolen.

No beginning. No end. I am a symbol of the Golden Circlet
world's cycles.

Two brothers we are, great burdens we bear, Worn Out Boots
all day we are bitterly pressed; Yet this I will
say - we are full all the day, and empty when
we go to rest.

Here, in this place, you swallow me. Yet, were I Jar of Water
more, I could swallow you.

I have seen the mountains rise. I have seen the Sundial
fall of Netheril. You shall die but still shall I
march on.

To those within the dungeon I am joy. To those Sun Medallion
fully beneath my gaze, I can be Hell.

I will save your life but yet can you die by me. I Sword Medallion
will settle disputes yet not with words.

Name me and so shall you break me. Gagged Man

Always do I tell the truth, yet cannot speak. Look Mirror
to me and see what really is.

I have two heads but one body. The more I stand Hourglass
still, the faster I run.

Try to defeat me but try in vain. When I win I Grinning Skull
end your pain.

Complete all the riddles to get 20,000 experience. Then search the
center chest again to find:

Sapphire Stone (keep it)
Dusty Rose Ioun Stone

Open the next door (x 875 y 915), and then open the next door to the
right (x 1033 y 700). This is the second riddle room. Go up and click
each of the faces twice to be teleported into the center. There you will
be asked a riddle. Get it right and you are rewarded, get it wrong and
you are punished. There are 12 faces and 12 corresponding riddles:

Riddle: Answer:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lighter than what I am made of, more of me is Ice
hidden than is seen, I am the bane of the mariner,
a tooth within the sea. Speak my name.

A spirited jig it dances bright, banishing all Fire
but darkest night. Give it food and it will live;
give it water and it will die.

The man who invented it, doesn't want it for himself. A Coffin
The man who bought it, doesn't need it for himself. The
man who needs it, doesn't know it when he needs it.

The life I lead is mere hours or less, I serve all my A Candle
time by being consumed. I am quickest when thin, slowest
when fat, and wind is the bane of the gift that I bring.

The more that there is, the less that you see. Squint Darkness
all you wish when surrounded by me.

They come to witness the night without being called, Stars
a sailor's guide and a poet's tears. They are lost to
sight each day without the hand of a thief.

They follow and lead, but only as you pass. Dress Shadows
yourself in darkest black, and they are darker still.
Always they flee the light, though without the sun
there would be none.

I have holes throughout, from back to front and top A Sponge
to bottom to core. More nothing than something within,
and yet I still hold water.

I am free for the taking through all of your life, Breath
though given but once at birth. I am less than nothing
in weight, but will fell the strongest of you if held.

Alive as you but without breath, as cold in my life as Fish
in my death; never a thirst though I always drink,
dressed in a mail but never a clink.

Of all your possessions, I am the hardest to guard. If A Secret
you have me, you will want to share me. If you share me,
you no longer have me.

I can have no color, though there may be darkness A Hole
within. I have no weight and hold nothing, and if placed
in a container it becomes all the lighter.

When all 12 riddles are answered, then everyone gets 5000 experience
points and you receive:

Ring of Regeneration (regenerate 1 HP every 6 seconds)

- THE PORTAL

Go back to the previous passage, and open the other door (x 750 y 800).
Fight the monsters in here (Rakshasa and Mephits). Past them is a big
portal. Remember those gems that we gathered that I told you not to
put in your gem bag? (Opal Stone, Sapphire Stone and Ruby Stone) They
are the key to this portal. Click the portal once and a Greater Wolfwere
appears, twice and a Demon appears, three times and a Djinni appears and
gives you:

Doomplate +3 (Plate Mail AC 0)

We are done here, so go back to the start, then take the southeast
passage to the next level (x 2100 y 1800).

- LEVEL TWO (AR 1513)

We start in a room. That is ordinary enough. Just ahead, the room
narrows quite suspiciously. When someone goes through that narrow, a
gate shuts and lots of Umber Hulks appear in this room and the next.
Which means that your party will probably be split in two for this
battle. To avoid this fate, I sent out a Wizard Eye to scout out the
area, it triggered the gate and left my entire party on one side. You
can also have a thief pick the lock on the gate to open it. One "Death
Spell" will clear this room out.

Prepare yourself for a big battle with a Lich. Wander down the passage
to the first door (x 2100 y 1800) and go in it. Here you will find the
aforementioned Lich and his undead buddies (Greater Mummies and Skeletal
Warriors). With Protective Spells active, you shouldn't lose any people
(or if you do, you shouldn't lose too many). Keep the Liches defenses
down by Breaching, Piercing Magic, etc. Also make sure you have good
undead fighting weapons equipped (Daystar, Mace of Disruption, etc.)
Liches are worth 22,000 experience. After the battle you can search the
pots here for some minor treasures (Cleric's Staff +3, etc.).

Enter the room right here, and search it for treasure. (spells and gold
mostly, as well as some arrows)

Head further down the passage, it turns to the west. Follow it to the
door (x 1050 y 2070). Open it to find Dace, a vampire. This ends in a
battle. Kill him and he retreats to his coffin. Then you stake him to
get his Hand (the object we need to escape this place). If you don't
have stakes, then when you go by the library again, he reappears inside
and tells you that your job is half finished. You can find a Stake
later on in this level when you get to the Kobold Shamans. (the SECOND
group of kobolds that appears... the one with the staff has the Stake)

- KOBOLDS

Back to the main passage, then continue north to the next room. (x 3000
y 1100) I found a Wandering Horror here to fight. There are also 3
containers in here with spells (Simulacrum, etc.) and other minor
treasures. Open the next door.

In the middle of this room (x 2340 y 515) you will find a book on a
pedestal. Click it twice to turn the page. Each time you do this it
summons forth a "bloodthirsty" monster:

Kobold Captain
Sword Spider
Umber Hulk
Mind Flayer
Beholder

Treasures: Ring of Free Action
Spells - Simulacrum
Summon Fiend

Search the wall (x 2030 y 520) for a secret door, open it and go through.
This is the Kobold/Imp room. Past this is the Crystal Room, which also
has the Kobold Witch Doctor. More Kobolds will appear around the
Crystal, and summon forth its "defenders" (more kobolds... and one xvart
looking guy). When they are dead, you get a Piece of the Crystal. You
may need to click the crystal to get the second group to appear.

Go back to the book room, open the door and go up the stairs.

- THE GIANT STATUE HEAD

Go now to the southwest passage again to the big giant statue head. Talk
to it with both the Crystal from the Kobolds and the Hand from Dace to
get it to open the passage. For this everyone gets 29,500 experience.
The head opens its mouth, and you can now enter the door behind it.
(x 470 y 1890)

Trick: You may be able to talk to it again and again to get more
experience. Cornelius Chesterfield did it 6 times.

- FINAL LEVEL (AR 1514)

There are two doors to the right, we want to take the bottom one (x 630
y 820). Open the secret door to the right (x 820 y 1020). Inside is a
switch, click twice to open the secret door to the left (x 560 y 1020).
Within here are a group of trolls (including one 12,000 exp troll).
Search the nearby pot to find:

2 Mithril Tokens (used later to gain an item)
Spell - Breach
Arrows +2

Back to the passage, and take it down to the next door (x 650 y 1500).
There are Minotaurs (3000 exp) in here. Near the door we came in is a
pot:

2 Mithril Tokens (so we have 4 total now)
Spell - Sunfire
Bolts +2
Gold

Open the door at the top of the room (x 1000 y 1450) and go in. Search
the pool in the center of the room to find:

Minotaur's Horn (used much later)
2 Mithril Tokens (6 total)
Mind Flayer Painting

There are 3 statues in this room, each of which has another "monster"
painting. So click on each statue twice to get their painting. They
WILL shoot spells at you, no matter what you do. Once you have the 4
paintings, head back to the beginning room. Then open the top door
(x 900 y 650), go through the passage and open that door too.

- THE PAINTED DOORS

This leads to a room full of monsters (for me it was Yuan-ti) that must
be dispatched before anything can be done. There are then four doors in
here, each with a picture of a monster on it that corresponds with one
of the paintings we got. From left to right:

Mind Flayer - 11,000 experience
Flame of the North (2Hnd +2, 10% magic res., +4 vs Evil)
Spirit Troll - 8000 experience
Katana +2: Malakar (+2 AC vs. Slashing weapons)
Umber Hulk - 10,000 experience
Djinni - 10,000 experience
Bloodstone Amulet

The Umber Hulk door leads to the next passage to go in. There were a
number of Wolfwere's in this passage. Go up and search the pot
(x 2280 y 185):

Gems
Arrows (Bolts and Bullets)
Spell - Phantom Blade

Then enter the room to the right. In this room you will find 3 Clay
Golems guarding the one treasure chest there. Funky. When you take the
items from the chest, the door slams shut and the Clay Golems attack.
Make sure you have Blunt weapons. Then I would kill the Clay Golems
first (Fake Talk works fine) and then unlock and take the treasures:

4 Mithril Tokens (10 total)
Gesen Bow String (final part of the powerful Gesen Bow)
Gem

Back into the passage, now take the southern door (x 2025 y 515). I
found a Stone Golem in here. Search the table:

3 Mithril Tokens (13 total)
Gold
Lots and lots of throwing darts and axes

And also search the pot to the left:

2 Mithril Tokens (15 total)
Gems
Throwing Items
Spell - Maze

Open the next door to the south to find the Vending Machine. This is the
reason we are collecting Mithril Tokens. Depending on how many tokens
are put in, you get a treasure:

5 Tokens - Boots of the North (50% cold resistance)
10 Tokens - Boots of Grounding (50% electrical resistance)
15 Tokens - Boots of Speed (Haste permanently on user)
20 Tokens - Jester's Chain +4 (AC 1)

Right now you should have 15 tokens. There are more than can be found
throughout the level. I found the Jester's Chain to be quite useless,
so I would get the Boots of Speed. Then later come back and spend
whatever tokens you have on the Boots of the North. (If you plan to come
back, you should probably mark it on your map)

- THE ORB ROOM

Go back to the beginning, then back down the bottom passage to the
Minotaur room. (x 933 y 1667) Open the door on the southeast wall.
This passage leads to another door, which opens up to the Orb Room.
There are 4 orbs in here that will cast a spell on whoever is standing
on the mosaic in the center of the room. From left to right the Orbs
cast:

Slow (x 1400 y 1575)
Heal (x 1500 y 1500)
Haste (x 1750 y 1525)
Lightning Bolt (x 1850 y 1600)

A great place to Heal people, but the Haste Orb is probably more useful.

Head up the next passage.

- BODHI AND THE (VAMPIRE) SLAYER

Within the next room is a giant minotaur statue, some vampires, and, oh,
Bodhi. She has decided to kill you once and for all, well before you
were supposed to meet (at least that is what I got out of that
conversation). A battle breaks out, but quickly, the main character
changes into the Slayer. This rightly freaks Bodhi out and she flees
taking her vampire cronies with her.

Which leaves you as the Slayer, and you aren't entirely in control of
your power. Keep everyone else in the party away from the Slayer else
they might get killed by it. Your party members will rightly comment
on this when you revert to normal. The Slayer is the Avatar form (mortal
form) of Bhaal and if you are turning into Bhaal...

The next time you rest after this, you turn in the Slayer again, and
chase someone in your party around (possibly the person you are in a
romance with). You may even end out killing them.

The next time you sleep after that, you MAY get the Slayer Dream, where
you gain the ability to change into the Slayer. The cost of turning into
the Slayer is a reputation loss of 2 points. Also you cannot stay the
Slayer for too long else you will die. (It says "you feel yourself losing
control" when it gets close)

- ESCAPE THE DUNGEON

Open the door to your left (x 1965 y 1150). There will probably be a
Minotaur here to kill. Then search the pool near the door:

4 Mithril Tokens (19 total)
Gold
Spell - Chain Lightning

If you go further up this passage you will find a Gauth (small green
Beholder like creature, worth 9000 exp) and more Minotaurs. No
treasure. Back to the Statue room.

Now take the lower right passage. (x 2330 y 1425) This leads to a small
room with yet more Minotaurs. When they are dead, search the pot to
find:

Minotaur Horn (used on the statue)
2 Mithril Tokens (21 total)
Spell - Limited Wish
Gold
Arrows

You now have all the Mithril Tokens in the game, so you can go back to
the Vending Machine and get whatever you want from it.

Put the Horns on the Minotaur Statue (everyone gets 29,500 experience)
to open the exit. Go out.

- THE CHALLENGES

Oh, but we aren't free yet! You will be in a small circular room with
6 enemies, goblins and hobgoblins for you to kill. Once they are dead,
the Tester Apparition appears to administer the test to you. These
tests have right and wrong answers, a right answer makes your life
easier (sends you to an easier area) and a wrong answer makes your life
a little harder. I will document only the easy path (although the hard
path has nothing special in it):

Agree to take the test and you will be teleported to a small room with
a Spore Colony. Kill it.

Answer the next question with 'Splinter,' and be teleported to a room
with a table:

Cloak of Reflection (reflects electrical damage back to source)

Then talk to the Apparitions around the table and answer their riddles:

Rich have need of it, poor have it: Nothing
Runs as it wills: A River
Dwell with weak, rarely brave: Fear
Shines laughter or tears: Memory

Note: If you messed up the 'table riddlers' last question (memory)
you will be teleported to a room with a machine. The correct
order of the machine is:

1. Mithril 2. Ruby 3. Emerald 4. Sandalwood 5. Jade 6. Onyx

This will get you a Bracers AC 5. (from Redd Barren)

This takes us to the Troll room. Kill the three trolls you find and
take from one of them a Head. Go up and the Apparition will appear and
mention that this room isn't part of the test. Tell him you'd like to
stay. Then put the Head in the Troll Altar. This gets you the:

Bone Club +2, +3 vs. Undead

Talk to the Apparition to get out.

You will then be judged. If you took the Easy Path (the one I just
described) then everyone in your party gets 51,250 experience points. If
you took a harder path, then he teleports in a Mind Flayer for you to
fight. (Everyone then gets 41,250 experience on the harder path)

There is one thing of Minor Treasure (x 970 y 380), but nothing
important. Leave this area.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.3 } } } } Escape from Spellhold
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

Once you return to the Asylum, you will be met by Saemon (the captain who
brought you to Brynnlaw, if you forgot). He offers you one sage bit of
advice, get the deviant mages to help you defeat Irenicus.

Walkthrough:
------------

- GAIN ALLIES TO FIGHT IRENICUS

Avoid the big room in the middle of this area for the moment, if you go
in there you WILL be destroyed by Irenicus (it's not even a fight! He
just kills you!). There are some minor treasures in a northern room
(x 1720 y 550). Open the door at (x 1400 y 400) and go up the stairs.

You will immediately meet up with Lonk the Sane. Convince him to free
the inmates (one way or another). Then convince the Inmates that
Irenicus should be killed and they will teleport you into his room
downstairs. Quickly a fight between you and him breaks out. This battle
is one of the larger battles in the game, as not only do you have
Irenicus to face, but soon he summons forth a small army (of clones that
look like your party) to help him. Plus you have allies in the Deviants
(so, if it says "Wanev casts Death Spell on Mazzy", it means that he
is casting that on your evil clone). Defeat Irenicus and everyone in
your party gets 68,500 experience.

Irenicus flees, leaving you to face another group of "murderers".
(thieves mostly)

Tip: At this point, you could close the door, preventing the thieves
from entering. Then you could rest and prepare to face them. You
could also trap the outside of the room first, so that they get
killed before attacking you.

If Yoshimo betrayed you, then he enters the scene after this and will
attack you. Kill him and take his heart. This heart will allow you to
undo the Geas on Yoshimo and give him peace in death. To do that you
have to take the heart to a temple of Ilmater (there's one on top of
the Copper Coronet, and another in Waukeen's Promenade).

- ESCAPE FROM SPELLHOLD

Go back upstairs. Follow the passage up and left to find Saemon again.
He says that he wants to help you and that he knows a way out. You have
three options here: one, trust him and go with him; two, kill him; and
three don't kill him and enter the portal downstairs. Do the first one,
trust him and he will teleport you outside. He goes to town and tells
you to follow. Don't, re-enter the Asylum.

Note: If you take the Portal you will skip the Sahuagin City (and its
wonderful treasures). No matter which you choose, you will end
out in the Underdark eventually.

Enter Irenicus' Office (x 1550 y 1000). There was a Stone Golem here.
Search the dresser for:

Staff of Thunder and Lightning

Search the desk for:

The Complete Journal of Jon Irenicus (parts 1 and 2)

Go into the next room. Search the cabinet on the wall:

Horn of Silence

Then search the drawers south of the bed for:

Rogue Stone
Jon's Key (if you took the portal in the basement, this would open the
secret door, but don't do that)

Leave the Asylum and head back to Brynnlaw.

- ESCAPE FROM BRYNNLAW

Go to the Vulgar Monkey Tavern and talk to Saemon again. His ship was
destroyed by the pirate lord (who probably had good reasons for doing
that). What he needs is for you to steal the Pirate Horn for him so
that you can steal one of the Pirate Lord's ships. Without the horn you
will not make it out of the harbor. He offers you the Vorpal Blade in
exchange for doing this. You will find the Horn on the lord's mistress
Cayia at night.

Go to Cayia's house (x 615 y 1475) at night, enter. After listening to
Cayia and her current lover's pillow talk, they call the guards and flee.
Kill the pirates, then search her Table to find the Pirate Horn (and
another Rogue Stone). Leave her house.

Head over to the Pirate Ship (x 1700 y 1900) where a group of pirates
will attempt to enslave you as a rower. Disabuse them of that notion.

Continue east to find Saemon (x 2950 y 2500), and talk to him. This gets
you aboard the ship, but soon the Pirate Lord tracks you down. There is
a bit of a scene, and Desharik, the Pirate Lord, even kills his own
mistress, Cayia. Saemon, ever courageous asks you to kill Desharik for
him. Kill the pirates and Saemon rewards you with:

Silver Blade (part of the Vorpal Sword)

The ship casts off...

- THE GITHYANKI INCURSION

Soon the ship is overrun by Giths looking for their sacred Blade.
Although Saemon tries to get a non-violent solution to this, it isn't
meant to be and a battle soon breaks out. You have a very brief window
to kill Saemon, if you want (18,000 experience). Soon this battle is
forced to a conclusion when the Sahuagin capsize the ship sending
everyone overboard...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.4 } } } } Sahuagin City (AR 2300)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

Welcome to the underwater city. At first you cannot understand what they
are saying, but soon they cast a spell that allows you to hear them. They
don't seem hostile (for once). They tell you that your coming was
prophesized (they usually eat surfacers that they capture). Their city
will be destroyed lest you save them.

Go willingly for the moment, as you are best served by listening.

Paul Dickinson points out:

In the Sahuagin City, I discovered that I was able to sell gems to
the temple for 4/3 of the price at which they could be bought back. For
example, I could sell a rogue stone for 4000 gold, and buy it back for
3000. At this time I had 18 charisma and 20 reputation. I could've had
unlimited gold here, but that seemed to be cheating, so I just sold my
rogue stone collection and left it at that. This place also has a nice
collection of spells to buy with all the money from gems.

Gunslinger notes:

You can pickpocket the key to the treasury of the Sahaugin city from the
King, along with the rope needed to descend to the Underdark (Now you can
leave without even caring about the issues of the Sahaugin people).

Walkthrough:
------------

- THE CHALLENGE

You are brought before their King, who soon enough asks you whether you
are the surfacers of prophecy. It doesn't matter what you say as they
think the same thing of you in any case. Accept their challenge to
fight one of their slaves.

You are set to fight an Ettin, nothing that challenging. Kill it (5000
experience) to prove that you are indeed the prophesized one. The losing
priestess is sacrificed, and you are told about the Sahuagin Rebels.
The King wishes the Rebels to be exterminated, while the priestess who
sponsored you wishes them to be negotiated with. Agree to the King's
demands to bring back the heart of the Rebel Prince to him. The
Priestess wishes to speak with you before you leave to go do the deed.

Head over to the temple (x 1335 y 225) and you can watch the losing
priestess get sacrificed. Then she gives you a couple of jobs to do,
first retrieve a Tooth from a Drow temple. This will allow you to leave
the city later, and second to try to get the Rebels back in power within
the city. In other words, to do the opposite of what the King asked you
to do. Agree to do that as well and she gives you an orb that the Prince
will recognize. Now you have a choice of which plots to do, kill the
Prince or kill the King.

- THE DROW TEMPLE

Head down then right (x 1350 y 1900). You will be warned of Drow in the
area. Continue right, then down (careful to look for traps). You will
bump into some spiders. Continue south and take out the Bone Golem
(x 940 y 3470).

Go left (careful to look for traps), then up. Several Imps here have a
game they want you to play in order to get the Drow treasure. They will
create images of 5 famous people of the realms in front of 5 chests.
Each person has a treasure. What you need to do is gather these
treasures, then put them in the chest behind the person they belong to.
Oh, and this entire platform needs to be deTRAPPED.

Needs: Has:
------------------------------------------------------
Alustriel - Pendant Elminster's Pipe
Drizzt - Scimitar Piergeiron's Helmet
Elminster - Pipe Drizzt's Scimitar
Khelben - Staff Alustriel's Pendant
Piergeiron - Helmet Khelben's Staff

Once all the items are in their proper place, the Imps open the final
chest. For this everyone in your party gets 18,500 experience. Within
the chest you will find:

Boots of Etherealness
Cloak of Protection +2

Continue up the passage until a Beholder named Spectator appears. Talk
to him. He doesn't have a great existence as he was set to guard the
treasure chest behind him for 99 years. If you try to take the items
in the chest, he will attack you. But, you need the item. So, ask him
if there's no way that you could see the item. With a bit of verbal
wrangling (either you must have Cernd, Haer'Dalis, or Edwin in your party
or have at least 13 Wisdom yourself) he agrees to let you check inside
the chest. Open it and grab the tooth. Spectator seems disappointed in
it, and leaves. (15,000 exp)

Note: Or you can have anyone with at least 13 Wisdom talk to the
Spectator.

- ENTER THE REBEL BASE

Head all the way north (x 2680 y 50). Then go right until you reach the
stairs (x 4600 y 1200). Don't worry about killing the rebels on the
way there, they're insignificant. Go down the stairs. Go through this
ambush to the doors (x 3700 y 2340).

Here you find the Sahuagin Chieftain who will take you to see the Rebel
Prince (if you have the Priestess' Orb, that is).

- SIDE WITH THE PRINCE

Now you have to make a choice which side to go with. On the one hand you
can go with the Prince's schemes, accept the Fake Heart and give that to
the King. (if you want to do it the other way, see below) If you have
a Monk, I would recommend siding with the King.

Take the Heart over to the King and give it to him. He does fall for it
and would reward you. Then the Prince and his goons attack the city and
you are forced into combat with the king. Kill the king to get his
items:

The Impaler Spear +3, +10 piercing damage
Key to Treasury
(etc.)

The Prince then enters and takes control of the city. He then rewards
you for your efforts:

60,500 experience for each person
Magical Rope

Go over and open the treasury (x 460 y 670) to loot the contents:

Rod of Lordly Might
Magical Rope
Spell - Protection from the Elements

Of course, now you can also double cross the prince and kill him. That
way you can still get the Wave Blade (you could probably also pickpocket
it off him, but Imoen has a horrible Pickpocket rating, so if you have
her, you probably can't do that).

- SIDE WITH THE KING

Or, you can assault the rebel prince and take his real heart. He also
has some treasure on him:

Wave Blade (part of the Wave Halberd)
The Impaler Spear +3, +10 piercing damage

Return to the King with the Heart and he will take you to the entrance
to the underdark. He also gives you a fairly generous reward:

Gauntlets of Crushing (+4 to THAC0, DMG, for unarmed combat)
Rod of Lordly Might (can change into different weapons)
Magical Rope
2000 gold
58,500 experience for each character

In case you are wondering, you get nothing for turning in the Priestess.
Also, the King vanishes so you can neither talk to him again nor double
cross him and kill him.

- LEAVE FOR THE UNDERDARK

Once you are done here, you will be shown to the exit. Simply go down.

Quests:
-------

OTHER: The Cloak of Mirroring

Fish Head - Sahuagin City (AR 2300, x 2350 y 1140)

There are many rebels throughout the city, and one of them has the
fabled Cloak of Mirroring on his person. Head to the giant Fish
Head, and stand in the center. You will then be ambushed by
several Sahuagin, one of which has the cloak. The cloak reflects
spells back to their source.

OTHER: Sea Zombie Lord

Zombie Lord - Sahuagin City (AR 2300, x 2630 y 3120)

One of the stranger sights to see in the city is a bloody pit
filled with zombies and the Zombie Lord. (6000 exp) Not worth much
in terms of experience OR treasure, but it is interesting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. } } } } Chapter 5: The Underdark (AR 2100)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

If you took the portal from Irenicus' basement, you will come straight
here. The other way here is from the Sahuagin City.

You get to watch as Irenicus has sided with the Drow to defeat the surface
elves. An ... interesting alliance to say the least.

Walkthrough:
------------

- FIND TRACES OF IRENICUS

Walk east and a little south (x 1600 y 3700) to find a group of Duergar.
These are traders, and they have seen Irenicus and Bodhi hanging around
the Drow city, but believe that you wouldn't be able to simply walk into
the city (and trust me, you can't). One of them thinks he has a
better way. Then you get to shop if you want. (You can also do the
Imprisoned Mage quest while here)

Head north, through the Drow, then west, through the Myconids and north
to get to the Svirfneblin city. (x 630 y 1135) The Deep Gnomes want you
to talk to their leader, and say you "could be useful." Enter the city,
go around the passage, south, then west. There are two rooms here, and
the leader is in the right room. Go in and talk to him.

He wants you to deal with an otherworldly creature that they accidentally
dug up, and in exchange he agrees to help you get into the Drow city to
hunt Irenicus. Within a deep dark cave is a creature called Adalon, who
can help you enter the city. However, you can't get in her cave without
getting a gem from the gnomes. (Svirfneblin is another name for "Deep
Gnome") Agree to help them with their demon problem for the gem. (Of
course, if you were Evil, you could just kill him and take the gem... IF
you were evil)

Note: Gunslinger mentions that you could just pick this gnome's pocket
to get the gem... he won't like it, but then, you don't need his
approval for anything.

- DEFEAT THE GNOME'S DEMON

He tells you that the demon can be found in the new passage to the
northeast. You will find the passage at (x 3600 y 600). Talk to the
guard there to open the door. When you are ready, click on the pit and
the Balor will appear. He requires about a +3 weapon to hit. (But if
you followed this walkthrough, you should have several +3 or better
weapons by this point) Kill him to get 26,000 experience. But we aren't
done yet! Oh no. Put that scroll (that the gnome gave you) in someone's
Quick Item slot, and use it. That seals up the hole.

Head back to the leader Gnome to get your reward:

Mace +3, Skullcrusher (extra damage to Humanoids)
Light Gem
25,000 experience for each character

- TALK TO ADALON

Leave the city, then head eastwards. You may have to fight through the
Kuo-toa's, but possibly not. Then you go north to get to the bridge
(x 3950 y 1890). When you cross this bridge, a Drow war party ambushes
you. Make sure that everyone who can, is wearing some of the spiffy
Drow armor. (Spiffy)

This path then splits into two groups, take the left path. (x 4100
y 1200) Enter the cave.

This is the lair of the Silver Dragon Adalon. (If you are evil, and need
Silver Dragon's Blood to make the "Human Leather Armor"... WAIT and do
it later!) Go down and talk to her. She wants your help (of course).
Her eggs were stolen by the Drow to keep her from interfering with them
as they invaded the surface for Irenicus. In exchange for this she will
help you get out of the Underdark to chase Irenicus at your leisure. To
assist with that goal, she casts a powerful illusion on your party making
them all appear to be Drow.

- ENTER THE DROW CITY, UST NATHA

Leave the cave, go down then take the other passage up to the Drow Gates.
The gates will automatically open and a Drow guard confronts you. Be
confidant and tell them that you are "Veldrin from Ched Nassad". You are
told to be in the Males Fighters Society within three days.

Enter Ust Natha.

Quests:
-------

OTHER: Mind Flayers

Mind Flayers - Underdark (AR 2100, x 200 y 2650)

Just north of where you first enter the area you will find some
Mind Flayers. These three goons make for good practice at fighting
them, which you might need if you want to take on the Illithid
city. (9000 exp each)

OTHER: First Drow Battle

Drow - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1735 y 2170)

The first real battle against the drow occurs just north of the
point where you free Vithal (see the next quest below). Drow fight
well with magic, summoning creatures to help them defeat you and
casting spells fairly intelligently. The most notable thing about
them is their Drow Armor, which you should definitely take. Drow
Full Plate +5 is the best armor in the game. It will dissolve
when taken to the surface, but that will still give you a lot of
good use with it.

QUEST: The Imprisoned Mage

Uder Mordin - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1770 y 3800)
Mage - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1930 y 2090)
Svirfneblin - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1633 y 750)
Vithal (later) - Underdark (AR 2100, x 2375 y 3320)

Talking with the last Duergar, Uder Mordin, he brings up the story
of a mage who was imprisoned in the earth after a battle. Seems
this fellow was looking for some artifact of importance. Talk to
the seller Duergar and buy a Freedom Scroll. Don't scribe this
to your spellbook, simply cast the spell, then move north to find
the mage. (10,000 experience)

Talk with Vithal to learn that he was searching for a great
treasure of some sort. He asks for your help in completing his
work. Agree. He wants you to fetch his Book of Rituals from the
Svirfneblin. The Svirfneblin city can be found at the top left of
the area. You will find the book on the Innkeeper in the left room
of their city. You can buy it off him for 300 gold. If you are
currently in Drow form (having already been to Adalon) then you get
the book for free.

You will find Vithal standing just northeast of the Duergar
position near one of the three portals in the area. Talk to him
and give him the book of rituals. Agree to help him out. Then a
Greater Earth Elemental (10,000 experience) appears. Keep it from
killing Vithal. Then Vithal enters the portal. Wait a moment,
then he reappears and tells you to come to the Fire Gate, which is
just above this gate. Talk to him again. A Greater Fire Elemental
(10,000 experience) appears. Same thing happens with Vithal
entering the portal. Then you go leftwards to the Air gate.

Talk to Vithal again and the same thing happens with a Greater Air
Elemental this time. (11,000 experience)

When Vithal returns (everyone gets 20,000 experience) he offers you
some treasure:

Rod of Absorption

If you complain, he will give you a couple of spells (Simulacrum
and Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting). If you complain further he will
attack you. Try to beat him quickly to avoid his Imprisonments.

Vithal - 20,000 experience
Skull of Death (Helm, casts Death Spell)
Spells - Wail of the Banshee
Incendiary Cloud
Time Stop
Infravision

QUEST: The Giant Soul Gem

Gem - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1940 y 1860)
Dagglefodd - Underdark (AR 2100, x 1770 y 610)

Just left of center in this area is a giant soul gem. This gem has
6 facets, when each facet is manipulated a new monster is freed.
These will then fight you. From left to right:

Facet 1 (x 1845 y 1862) - Madman Aganalo - 6000 experience
Jhor the Bleeder (Bastard Sw +2)
Facet 2 (x 1872 y 1901) - Raevilin Strathi - 20,000 experience
Spells (summoning)
Facet 3 (x 1920 y 1920) - Riti - 8000 experience
Spear +3, Backbiter (Cursed)
Spells - Improved Haste
Facet 4 (x 1980 y 1920) - Alchra Diagott (Lich) - 22,000 exp
Spells - Summon Nishruu
Delayed Blast Fireball
Spell Turning
Facet 5 (x 2025 y 1885) - Bedlen Dagglefodd (don't attack him)
Facet 6 (x 2035 y 1850) - Gont of Riatavin - 7000 experience
(if you let him go, you get nothing but
advice)

Note: In the Underdark Soul Machine, there is a mad wizard
called Raevilin Strathi, who attacks you. His head has
been stuffed up, and if you cast the cleric spell Heal on
him, he will come to his senses, and give you the sword
Albruin +1 as a reward. (from John Howard)

Then talk to the elder Dagglefodd up in the Svirfneblin city to get
an extra reward:

Bracers AC 4
10,000 experience

He will also sell you items from then on (not that he has anything
that good).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1 } } } } Ust Natha (AR 2200)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When you enter the city you get to watch a little display between a Drow
and his slave. He kills the slave, and is in turn killed by his mother.
This just emphasizes that Drow are evil. Really evil.

Do NOT reveal yourselves as "non-drow" or the entire city becomes hostile.
Worse than that, they might seal you in.

Walkthrough:
------------

- GETTING ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY

We are here to do one thing and one thing only, get the Silver Dragon
eggs to give to Adalon. In order to do that we need to keep our ears to
the ground and search for information. Also we need to ally ourselves
with a Family. Once we are allied then the quests become available
(for instance, you can't "Free the Humans" until you have become allied).

Head over to the Male Fighter's Society (x 3535 y 1650). Here you will
meet up with Solaufein. He asks for your name, tell him that it doesn't
matter what your name is and he will be amused and like you more for it.
He tells you that you are going to be working for the Matron Mothers, and
to meet up with her handmaiden on a platform near the entrance. From
this point you have three days to get to that platform and meet with the
Handmaiden.

On your way back to the entrance, you will see a meeting between some
Mind Flayers (Ambassadors, no less) and Drow. This isn't particularly
important, but it is interesting. Go to the platform. (x 1550 y 3300)
Talk to Solaufein again. He explains that some "devourers" have taken
a priestess hostage. He asks if you know what those are:

Int 15+ - You can say "Illithid" and Solaufein likes you more
Int 9 to 14 - You can say "Mind Flayers" and nothing happens
Int 8 or less - You say "Otyugh" and Solaufein likes you less
"I don't know" - nothing happens

You are to rescue that Drow from the Illithid before they take her to
their city. You have three days.

- RESCUE PHAERE FROM THE ILLITHIDS

So, exit the city, and head south. I encountered an adventuring group,
that naturally assumed that I was evil. (x 3300 y 2225) One of these
goons has:

Dragons Breath, Halberd +4 (+1 ice, fire, elec., poison & acid dmg)

Continue south, then cross the bridge to find Solaufein (x 4715 y 3100).
He asks if you have any questions. If you apologize to him, he will like
you more. After which he tells you to get ready for battle. Cast all
your protective spells (Protection from Evil is very useful) and get
ready for combat with some Mind Flayers. You must fight 3 Mind Flayers
as well as 2 Umber Hulks. I would take out the Flayers first, one at a
time, then the Hulks. After the battle, Phaere (whom you just rescued)
sort of thanks you. (20,000 experience) Nothing you say to Phaere
matters. They both go back to the city. You have three days to go back
and talk with Solaufein again.

Battle Tip: Death Spell will annihilate your enemies here. Don't
assume it will always work on Mind Flayers, it won't. It
works here because these Mind Flayers are considered by
the game to be "summoned."

- WORKING FOR HOUSE DESPANA

Enter the tavern and find Phaere and Solaufein. Phaere automatically
talks to you and asks you to join forces with her house. Respond to this
in the affirmative (say "yes")... you can also intimate that you would
rather have her as a reward (if you know what I mean), but that has some
bad consequences if you are currently in a romance with someone else.
She wants you to meet her at the same platform as before... but not right
now. For now she wants you to enjoy yourself in the Tavern. (see the
Quests below if you need something to do) When she leaves the Tavern
you have 3 days to get to the Platform.

Get to the Platform and talk with Phaere. She tells you that a Beholder
is in the city smuggling Adamantite. She wants you to go over there and
kill it. Solaufein and her will scout it out ahead of time. You will
find Phaere again in the Southeast part of the city (x 4200 y 3340).
Talk with her to get the battle rolling.

Kill the Beholder (14,000 exp) and Solaufein seems happy about things.
Phaere mentions that the body is going to be collected for... other
uses (20,000 exp). Phaere tells you to visit her in the tavern within 3
days.

- DROW VS. SVIRFNEBLIN

Phaere wants you and Solaufein to attack a Deep Gnome patrol to keep them
properly fearful of the Drow. Solaufein naturally hates being sent on
such stupid missions, especially given how weak the Gnomes are. You will
meet up with Solaufein west of Ust Natha near the gnomish city. (x 890
y 2225)

Talk to Solaufein. If Solaufein likes you, you can convince him to let
you handle this on your own. At that point he goes back to the city.
(of course, if you have been cheesing him off, then he won't leave) The
Gnome Patrol arrives, tell them that you were sent to kill them, and that
you won't. Then ask for their helmets as a sign that the deed was done.
Head back to the tavern.

- PHAERE

Phaere is pleased that you brought her the helmet, and asks that you meet
her in her chambers at the Female Fighters guild within ONE HOUR.
(everyone gets 28,000 experience) Head over to the Female Fighters
(x 2500 y 2050), enter and talk with Phaere. She wants Solaufein dead.
Why? Lover's quarrel. She wants you to enter his home in the Male
Fighters guild, kill him, and take his Piwafwi Cloak as proof of his
death. Agree to her demands. You now have 3 days to get to Solaufein.
(x 3500 y 1575)

Talk to Solaufein and tell him that you were sent to kill him, but that
you don't want to do it. Then ask him for his Piwafwi Cloak as proof
that he is "dead." Solaufein has a little speech, and he likes you more.
You can then search his place, but there is nothing good here.

Evil Alternative: (from Cyrille Artho)

When you kill Solaufein, he obviously cannot give you his fake dragon
eggs, which you normally use to trick Phaere. However, not
everything is lost. When you give the real dragon eggs to Phaere,
there are three possible outcomes:

1) You interrupt the ritual (bad idea). Matron Ardulace then casts a
spell that reveals the true identity of the party, and you are
chased out of the city. It will be rather difficult to recover
the eggs and kill all the drows.
2) You let the ritual be completed.
a) You prevent Phaere from handing over the eggs to the Demon Lord
(good idea). The Demon Lord then attacks everybody. He does
not have many hit points but you need a +5 weapon to hit --
which you probably don't have at that point (unless you have a
Paladin with the Holy Avenger). A cleric with four Bolts of
Glory (10d6 damage to demons) works well enough, since that
spell ignores magic resistance (which is 95 or 100% for the
Demon Lord). Killing the demon lord gives 26000 exp. Pray
that his initial "Wail of the Banshee" does not kill anybody;
if it does, *hurry* and don't try to re-equip everything
perfectly -- just get your stuff and leave *quickly*! If
nobody is killed, you actually even have time to sell Phaere's
gems to the drow before they all turn red and try to kill
you. Incidentally, "Protection from Evil" will not prevent the
Demon Lord from casting his first attack spell, but he will not
attack you immediately. Also, I could still get out of the
city just after the drow turned hostile -- probably it takes a
few seconds until the city gates are locked.
b) You let Phaere give the eggs to the demon lord (bad idea). He
(being a mean guy) reveals the true identity of the party.
Immediately, all drows turn hostile and attack the party.
Again, this way is not the best (you will also have to deal
with an angry silver dragon then).

Note: If you have recovered the eggs, don't talk to Adalon --
otherwise you can never kill her for her blood (because she'll
teleport you away). Instead, attack her right away. This gives
you less experience and no crossbow +3, only some gold and a
scroll that allows you to proceed to chapter 6 :-(

Personal note: I found it a pity that evil parties cannot let the
drow ritual take place as planned - a duel between the silver dragon
and the demon lord would have been a grand sight. Also, the story is
not very logical in the sense that the drow attack still happens,
despite the loss of their leaders (and a few powerful warriors due to
duels in the tavern and mysterious murderers) and not having the
demon on their side. No surprise, they lose.

/End of the Evil Alternative

Report back to Phaere. (everyone gets 30,000 experience) If you are male
then she wants to talk to you alone... for a little nooky. If you refuse
her, she will sound the alarm and the entire city turns hostile. Of
course, you could try to convince her that you "*really* can't", i.e. are
impotent. In order to pull off one of these deceptions you need either
17 INT or 13 CHA (and in some cases 17 CHA).

After that (whether you talked your way out of it, did it, or didn't get
offered because you are female) she wants you to meet the Matron
Ardulace Despana, who is currently in the Temple. You have 3 days to get
there (everything takes 3 days, for some reason). Oh, and if you did
sleep with Phaere, then anyone you had a romance with is upset with you.

- MATRON ARDULACE

Head down to the Temple of Lolth (x 4200 y 2350). Enter, and walk
forward until you find Phaere, who will automatically talk to you and
introduce you to the Matron. The Matron wants you to prove yourself to
her, and in order to do that you must bring back the Blood of one of the
"noble races", which are Beholders, Mind Flayers or Kuo-Toa's. Oh, and
it can't be any of them, it must be something special.

So, depending on what you want to do:

Beholders go to the next section "Beholder City"
Mind Flayers go to the section after that "The Illithid Lair"
or the easiest Kuo-Toa's "Exit from the Underdark"

If you don't retrieve one of these items in a timely fashion, (three
days) then Phaere will track you down (wherever you may be) and tell
you that your disguise has failed, thus instigating a battle (and
forevermore keeping you out of Ust Natha). So don't waste time.

Come back when you have one of these items and she will take them and
reward you with 22,000 experience for each character. Phaere then asks
to see you in her rooms, within one hour. (she lives in the Female
Fighter's Society, if you have forgotten)

- THE DRAGON'S EGGS

Phaere details her plans to overthrow the Matron Ardulace and set herself
up as head of the house. She wants your help in this, so agree to help
her get rid of the Matron. House Despana is going to use the Blood you
collected along with the Silver Dragon's Eggs to summon a demon. What
Phaere wants to do is replace the Eggs with false ones so that Ardulace
is destroyed when the demon is summoned. She can then use the real eggs
to gain control of the demon. She gives you a key and a set of false
eggs marked as "Phaere's". Leave her house.

Return to the Temple as that is where the eggs are kept. If you did well
by Solaufein, he will appear near the entrance with a further proposition
for you. He wants to give you a second set of false eggs that you can
give to Phaere. This way both the Matron and Phaere get killed by the
Demon. Agree to his plan and enter the temple.

Brian Camley has an interesting strategy for the temple:

While I was in Ust Natha, and was sent to retrieve and replace the
dragon's eggs, I really didn't feel like fighting Drow and Golems, so I
saw if SpookyScarecrow's trick for the Golems in the De'Arnise Hold
would work in this case - I gave Aerie the Boots of Speed, and had her
cast Sanctuary. She got in and out quickly - this works for most
encounters with guards of some sort - the exception being, of course,
getting the Gesen Bow String - using this strategy will leave your
cleric trapped in a room with some angry guardians. Not a good idea.

Once in the temple, take the passage immediately to your right, and take
that up to the Egg Room (x 2067 y 780). Kill the 2 guards and enter.
There are 5 Golems in here, just waiting to pounce on you once you have
taken the eggs. Kill the Golems. Take the Real Eggs and REPLACE THEM
with PHAERE'S EGGS. (don't forget to do that!)

Back to Phaere's. Give her Solaufein's Eggs (20,000 experience) and she
seems awfully pleased. Well, that won't last. Listen to the Imp when
it appears, then get back to the Temple. Phaere is right within the
first passage and soon the Ritual of Summoning begins. The Demon kills
the two Drow women one by one, then will leave if you remain silent. Be
sure to search the two corpses for treasure:

Ring of Spell Turning
Gorgon Plate +4
Lots of Gems
4500 gold

Evil Alternative: (from Daniel Pang)

In the Drow City, if you give the Demon lord the real eggs after
Phaere and Ardulace are gone you can ask him for a tithe in return.
Asking him for a powerful magical item yields the Halberd +4:
Blackmist, and asking him for safe exit from the Underdark will get
you just that. Ask him for anything else however, and he attacks you.

Now, QUICKLY, leave the Temple and get OUT of the city as fast as is
humanly possible. If you delay, you will be trapped in the city forever.
(Actually, in that case, you simply have to kill everyone in the city,
then you can leave)

Return to Adalon and give her the real eggs. She gives you an Item:

Necaradan's Crossbow +3
78,500 experience (for each character)

And you are then teleported to the Exit from the Underdark. The gate out
is just to the left, but you can explore around if you didn't already.
(see the "Exit from the Underdark" section for more details)

Trick: On the surface, Drow items are meant to turn to dust. Want to
keep that nifty Drow stuff you got? If you have NOT gotten the
Harper's Pin for Jaheira, you can give her all of your Drow
items, and kick her out of the party. She should go out to
the Harper Hold in the Docks District. (If you have done all
the Harper quests already, then she just leaves for good)
Then when you pick her up again, all the Drow items are still
there and can be worn in the daylight! As long as you never
take these items to the "Exit from the Underdark" area, you
can keep them forever. (Gabriel)

Alternate Trick: (from Chris Norman)

I noticed there was a trick to save the drow items
upon leaving the underdark. I liked this idea, but did not
want to kick a member out of my party to do it. Also, my main
character was in a romance with Jaheira so I didn't know what
kicking her out would do. I decided to try to come up with an
alternate method of doing this. What I came up with works, but
it is somewhat inconvenient to do if you're walking around with
full inventories due to having to trade the armor between many
people. My trick works because the game only checks the items
every round or so and will not decay items on the ground. Here
is what you do. (When picking up items, use the inventory
screen instead of the overhead display method of picking stuff
up)

1. Immediately pause the game when you gain control of the
party after leaving the underdark, before the drow equipment
decays. Transfer ALL the drow stuff you want to keep on to
one person and have that person drop it all into a pile on
the ground. You can then unpause it. Adamantine dust will
appear in your inventory just like if the items decayed, but
they will still be on the ground. Also, opening the bag of
holding seems to decay items as well even if paused, so do
not put anything you want to keep in there.

2. Next, string your characters to the edge of the map, and
have one of them as close as you can get without trying to
exit the screen. The trick here is to have the people
close enough together that they may pass items still. Keep
the character that dropped the items in the same spot so
that he can pass them all to the next person.

3. Now, repause the game, and have the character over the
stack of items pick them up and pass them down the line of
characters until the person near the edge has them. Have
that person drop them all in a pile on the ground again.
(Since the game is paused here, you are in effect, moving
the items to the edge of the map before any time can pass,
so they do not decay.)

4. Move your whole party close enough to the edge of the map so
that you can leave the area with just a single click and no
one will have to walk. Leave the guy on the stack of items
again.

5. Pause again, and pick up all the equipment, passing some of
it to other people if you need to again. Leave the
inventory screen, and click where the party will leave the
area. Then unpause, and the party will leave before the
items decay.

Note: I had to do this procedure again after the Drizzt
meeting. I guess that the program checks for drow items
on that screen as well, so you will probably have to do
it again as well. After leaving the Drizzt zone, items
stuck just fine though, just like with the Jaheira
trick.

Also note that normal Drow Longswords don't turn to
dust.

Yes, this is a somewhat complex method, but if you don't want
to kick out a party member, or have Jaheira's quest completed,
this will keep your drow armor intact.

Note: Drow items aren't worth much, so unless you want to
wear them, don't bother keeping them.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Duergar's Tank, the Aboleth

Duergar - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 1050 y 3150)
Qilue - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 2725 y 1890)

Just after freeing Phaere from the clutches of the Mind Flayers,
a Duergar near the entrance will tell you to talk to his "master"
who is in a big tank just behind him.

Talk to the Aboleth, the creature in the tank, and he wants an
exchange. You get him Qilue's brain and he won't reveal that you
are not Drow. Sounds good. You can find Qilue's home right next
to the Female Fighter's society. Enter.

Alternatively: When talking to the Aboleth the first time, you
can refuse to do his quest. Then when he asks
why, simply tell him that if he reveals you, then
you will reveal his treachery as well. For this
you get 12,000 experience. (from Cyrille Artho)

Once inside, kill everything that moves. Besides Qilue, there are
5 servants (mages mostly) to be killed. You can find most of these
to the right. Search Qilue: (4000 exp)

Boneblade Dagger +4
Qilue's Brain

There isn't really anything else here, so return to the Aboleth,
who gives you 10,000 experience and promises not to tell anyone who
you are.

QUEST: Free the Humans

Slave Trader - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 1111 y 1808)

Just north of the tavern is the slave area, where humans are sold
to Drow masters. If you've been on the second floor of the Tavern
you probably know that slaves don't have much to look forward to
in Drow Culture.

After you have talked to Matron Ardulace, talk to the Slave Trader
and buy the slaves. We want them armed, so pay him the full
price of 2000 gold. He will actually lower the cost to 1500 if you
ask him. The slaves will be teleported near you. Tell them that
they are now free, and that they should head to the surface. For
this you get Reputation +1 and 7500 experience.

QUEST: Defeat the Cultists

Taso Kala - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 2480 y 2100)
Cult - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 4200 y 3340)

After accepting the quest from Matron Ardulace, you will find Taso
Kala in front of Phaere's doorway. She automatically talks to you
and ORDERS you to find and destroy the Cult of Ghaunadaur. Accept
this (if you don't want your cover story blown). You will find
the "cultists" where the Beholder was earlier, in the southeastern
part of the city. You have one day to complete this quest.

This battle consists of Drow, Otyughs and Oozes of all colors.
Destroy them. None of them have any significant treasure. Go back
to the Priestess to report your success. Be subservient and she'll
go away (you weren't expecting a reward were you?).

QUEST: The Trapped Djinn

Dola Fadoon - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 1930 y 3180)

Just to the right of the entrance is a djinn being tortured for the
fun of it (or whatever). It begs for someone to destroy it. I
wouldn't do that until you have talked to Matron Ardulace. Kill
it. Then the torturer will demand compensation. She wants 4000
gold as compensation and if you don't have it, you get a day to
come up with it. If you have talked to Matron Ardulace, then you
can wheedle it down to a mere 2000 gold.

This quest is best done just before you leave the Underdark
forever. That way you can kill Dola Fadoon, tell her that you
don't have the money, and leave the Underdark before anything bad
ever happens to you. For all this you get a measly 5000 exp.

QUEST: Deirex the Lich and Jarlaxle the Mercenary

Visaj - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 3000 y 2275)
Deirex's Tower - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 3700 y 2850)
House Jae'llat - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 3260 y 1460)

Just after meeting the Matron Ardulace for the first time, Visaj
appears on the path just north of Deirex's Tower. He approaches
you and wants to sell you a Rope. Not just any rope, but a magic
lich-defense negating rope. Useful, no doubt, for breaking into
Deirex's Tower and stealing his items. There is the small chance
that the famed mercenary Jarlaxle will come looking for it, but
how likely is that? Buy the rope for 1000 gold. (If you don't have
that much he'll sell it for 750 gold. If your charisma is 15 or
higher, you can talk him down to 500, OR you could just threaten
him and take the rope from him)

Now head down to Deirex's Tower and enter. Deirex is right there,
and although the Rope does seem to do what it was advertised to do,
you are soon teleported to Jarlaxle's Pocket Dimension®. There
isn't really any way to change how things turn out in here. He
tells you that he wants some Gems from Deirex, as his men are
imprisoned within them. He gives you a day to accomplish this
before teleporting you back to Deirex's Tower.

Fight with Deirex. He is a fairly standard Lich and fights as
such. (Time Stop, Abi Dalzim, etc.) By this point Liches shouldn't
present too tough a challenge for you. (22,000 experience) Be
sure to search his body for the Lich's Tooth and the Jae'llat
Wardstone.

Then search the place for treasures: (4 containers, not all in this
room, and some are trapped)

Spells - Glitterdust
Wizard Eye
Deafness
Contagion
Remove Magic
Limited Wish
Melf's Minute Meteors
Spook
Leather Armor of the Viper +5
Jarlaxle's Gems

Take the Gems and you will instantly be teleported back to his
little Pocket Dimension. Jarlaxle takes the Gems and thanks you
for your efforts. Now you can either accept his thanks (2500 gold
and 10,000 experience) or you can attack and kill him and his
mage (14,000 experience and 12,000 experience). They don't have
any good items for you to take. In any case you will be teleported
back to Deirex's Tower.

Go up to the next door (x 3475 y 2730), and enter. Search the lake
for treasure:

Gold
Gems
Spells - Cacofiend
Ruby Ray of Reversal
Spear +3
Wand of Frost & Wand of Magic Missiles
Two Handed Sword +2
Crossbow of Affliction +4 (-2 STR, +4 DMG & THAC0)
Short Sword +2
Ring of Folly (cursed)

That's it for the Lich's treasure (the other door on the outside
leads in here). Leave the tower, go up and right to reach the
House Jae'llat (it's marked on the map). The Wardstone will allow
you entrance. (x 3260 y 1460)

This is, of course, a fairly large battle against many Drow
warriors and priestesses. It just wouldn't be a Drow House
without those elements. Each Jae'llat Guard is worth 6000
experience. This is the first battle, there is another one when
you go over to the right. This battle has Hindra Jae'llat in it
(14,000 experience) as well as Istar Jae'llat (16,000 experience).
Then search the place for treasure:

2500 Gold
And a LOT of Gems (about 50)

If you are wondering about the other warded door out there, it also
leads into the Jae'llat house.

OTHER: The Running Girl

Near the female fighter's society you will see a human girl running
for her life. Later a couple of drow warriors ask you which way
she went. You can lie or tell the truth, I've seen no real
consequences of it.

OTHER: The Tavern Duels

Tavern - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 1835 y 2550)
Sondal - Tavern (AR 2202, x 580 y 1133)

On the main level of the tavern, to the left near the stairs, you
will find Sondal, the Duel master. Agree to watch the first duel.
One Drow easily defeats four others, comes out and asks for your
opinion on the matter. Tell him that he shouldn't gloat over
children and he challenges you to a duel. Accept.

Note: If you lose any duel, you will be permanently barred from
dueling. Also, all the duels here are One-on-One (unlike
the Monster battles).

When Lasonar is close to being defeated (30,000 experience) he
yields the fight and gives you his sword.

Blade of Searing +3 (Bastard Sword, with extra "searing" dmg)

After the battle, Chalinthra challenges you to a duel. (She was
involved with Lasonar, and found insult in you beating him) When
you are ready, talk to Sondal again to get the duel going.
Chalinthra is a Cleric of no small ability. However, she dies just
the same. (12,000 experience)

The next fight is against a Mage, and requires a Mage from your
party to duel him. So send a mage over and let the battle begin!
(6000 experience) The next battle is also a mage battle, but this
one is slightly more difficult (8000 experience). After that there
is one final mage (11,000 experience). I won these battles by
summoning a Nishruu and using the Cloak of Mirroring.

OTHER: The Tavern Monster Battles

Tavern - Ust Natha (AR 2200, x 1835 y 2550)
Szordrin - Tavern (AR 2202, x 1450 y 840)

On the main level of the Tavern is a man standing to the right,
Szordrin. Talk to him if you want to duel some animals. He has
several combats, which must be done in order: (return to him after
the battle to get a reward and another battle)

Umber Hulk - 4000 exp, 250 gold (from Szordrin)
Nabassu - 16,000 exp, 500 gold (from Szordrin)
Sahuagin Prince - 2000 exp, 750 gold (from Szordrin)
Beholder - 14,000 exp, 1000 gold (from Szorddrin)

He then claims that he will go to the pens to find more challenges
for you to fight, but he never returned (for me at least).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.2 } } } } Beholder City (AR 2101)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- BEHOLDER CITY

You will find the entrance to the Beholder City in the Southeast part of
the Underdark (x 4120 y 3700). It is the passage that leads down. (The
other one goes to the Illithid Lair)

We are here to find a Beholder Eye Stalk, and conveniently enough, we
can find it on one of the first Beholders here. Kill the Elder Orb to
find:

Elder Orb Eye
Blade of the Equalizer
Amulet of Spell Warding

Once you have the Eye, you can head back to Ust Natha and give it to the
Matron Mother. Or you can finish exploring in here and kill a LOT of
Beholders. If you have either the Shield of Balduran (from the
Collector's Edition bonus shop) or the Cloak of Mirroring (from the
Sahuagin City), then this place is a breeze. Put those items on your
two best fighters, and only send them out. The Beholders won't be able
to touch you. Elder Orbs can still cast Imprisonment on you, so you are
NOT invulnerable. This just means that you should attack Elder Orbs
first.

- FURTHER EXPLORATIONS

Go up and right to find Drow battling a Beholder. Explore the place at
your leisure. There are many Beholders, Gauths and a few Mind Flayers.

Just above and to the left of the Drow (x 790 y 605) is a small nook of
treasure: (all treasures here are hidden in "nooks")

Minor Treasures

Just to the right of the Drow (x 1213 y 770) is another nook o' treasure:

Sling of Avoreen +4 (casts Sonic Boom once a day)
Minor Treasure

Along the path to the top of the map (x 2500 y 580) is some treasure:

Greenstone Amulet (can protect user from Charm, Stun and Psionics,
useful against Mind Flayers, no doubt)
Rainbow Obsidian Necklace

There is treasure at the top of the map (x 2130 y 175):

5200 gold
Gems

Just left of that one is another treasure (x 1815 y 195):

Minor Treasures

Well south of that (x 2450 y 1080) in a passage to the left is a larger
thing of treasure (it's not a nook, I mean):

Minor Treasures

That is that for the Beholder City. Once you have killed all the
Beholders, you can take your leave and know that you have done good work
here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.3 } } } } The Illithid Lair (AR 2400)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- THE ILLITHID LAIR

Note: You WILL want to make an Archive Save before going in here!
So, do a normal save, and call it "Illithid Lair", and don't
save over it until the entire lair is finished. That way, if
you screw up, you can easily go back to the beginning.

The most difficult, and potentially rewarding, of the three lairs is the
Illithid Lair, which you can get to via the Underdark. It is located in
the Southeast corner of the map, and you go right (x 5070 y 3400).

Once you have entered, you will be quickly captured by a group of Mind
Flayers who then enslave you.

- ENSLAVED

You wake up in a very small cell. Despite being slaves now, you still
have all of your items. After all, Illithids don't really fear physical
attacks.

A minute or so later, an Ogre will open your door and tell you that it is
time for you to fight. Remember the Gladiators back in the Copper
Coronet? Same idea, except now YOU are the gladiators. Soon enough you
are thrown into a pit to fight 3 Umber Hulks. Beat them and you will be
put back in your cell. When you are back, you will be given Healing
Potions.

Open the side door and talk to the Gith, Simyaz, inside. These Gith were
here to recover the Silver Blade (which you now possess, assuming you
went with Saemon) and ended out here instead. He offers no solutions.
Soon the Ogre comes again and this time takes the Gith out to fight.

Soon the Gith return and tell you that they are to fight you in the next
battle. However, they have a better idea. They will keep the Mind
Flayers busy, while you try to find an escape from the Lair. You will
soon be taken into the battle. Defeat the Kuo-Toa's and then escape out
to the right while the Githyanki keep the Mind Flayers busy.

- ESCAPE

Kill the Ogre Jailor here (10,000 exp). Then search the table:

Hilt of the Equalizer (which means that you probably have all 3 pieces)

Go right into the next half of the room. There are four doors here.
Open the bottom one first (x 3390 y 1760). Kill the 2 Kuo-Toa's here.
Then open the top right door (x 3270 y 1515) next to kill a couple of
Sahuagins. Next open the right door (x 3380 y 1620) and follow this
passage right. Kill the Mind Flayer here. Then go to one of the Vats,
and manipulate it until you get the Goo.

Go back to the Ogre Jailer room, and open the southern door (x 3050
y 1960). Go down this passage, fight the 2 Mind Flayers, and then go
right into a weird slave-control room. Find one of the smaller machines
and pour the goo into it (via clicking it twice). This frees the slaves
from their stasis. They tell you of a way to make Control Collars, as
well as ask you to find them a way out.

Go up to the big machine in the room and Use it to make Collars. Keep
using it until it no longer works. You will get 4 Collars. Equip these
in your Quick Item slot to use them. Then when you find a Mind Flayer,
use the item on him to control him permanently. (Control ends when you
open a door with him)

Note: How to get extra Mind Flayers (to open doors for you). There is
a room where you get the "Goo" which frees the slaves. In this
room a lone Mind Flayer will spawn once every minute or so (if
one is there, a new one won't spawn). There are at least two
doors that require a mind flayer to open and for both doors I
just went back to this room, controlled the mind flayer with one
of the collars and marched him over to the door. I didn't have
to turn into the Slayer once throughout the game (after the
first time which you don't control). (from Rakhiir)

Return to the right portion of the jail, and open the northern door
(x 3050 y 1450). Go through the passage and into the room. Search the
grate on the northern wall to find:

Methild's Harp (Bards can dispel Hold Person effects, 3x day)

Now try to open the door to the right and you get a strange message.
Only a great mind or a creature with godlike strength can open this door.
Which means either you go capture a Mind Flayer with the collars... or
you turn into the Slayer and force the door open. Turn into the Slayer
(unless you managed to keep a Mind Flayer alive), lose the 2 reputation
points, and go through the LEFT door. Once you are in the next room, go
up through the north door until you reach the Brine Room.

The Githyanki will now be freed and will come out to congratulate you.
Oh, and they aren't going to help you get out of here. (everyone gets
25,000 experience)

Once in the Brine Room, try to capture some Mind Flayers (don't use all
your collars). Click on the 8 vats to create 8 Brine Potions, which can
be used to protect your party from Psionic Attacks. Give these potions
ONLY to front line fighters, and use them ONLY when you are near Mind
Flayers, they have a very short effectiveness.

Go back to the previous room and open the lower left door (opening these
doors requires only that you have a Mind Flayer in the party, x 1690
y 1235). Have only your best fighters proceed, each having taken a swig
of the Brine Potion. (or using the Greenstone Amulet from the Beholder
City) Continue left to find a large group of Illithid and Umber Hulks.

From this room there are 3 doors, one to the north, one to the south and
a secret door to the northeast. Since we are being thorough, take the
south door first. This leads to a room with three bizarre Pod-like
things in it. Open each of them to reveal an enemy.

Kuo-Toa Priest - 2000 exp, Magic Bolts, etc.
Insane Dwarf - 1750 exp, Ring of Fire Control (50% fire res., spells)
Umber Hulk - 4000 exp

Back to the other room. Now open the Secret Door (x 1140 y 1300). Go
up this way to find 3 Mind Flayers and several Umber Hulks. Once they
are dead, search the table to find:

Staff of Command +2 (casts Domination once)

Back to the other room. That leaves only the northern door to go
through. (x 950 y 1280) I'm not sure why, but I had to turn into the
Slayer to open this door. What then was the point of taking control of
several Mind Flayers? If you have a Mind Flayer in your party, you can
then Lockpick the door as normal. Anyway go through there to find the
Big Evil Illithid Brain. Kill that first (40,000 experience), then
concentrate on the other Illithids in there, then the Umber Hulks and
finally the Brain Golems. When the Brain dies you automatically gain
some of its blood to give to Matron Ardulace.

- EXIT

Head back and then right to (x 3730 y 1100) to find the slaves who are
now escaping. They thank you (45,000 experience and a Reputation +1)
and leave. You should do the same.

You will find the Githyanki outside in the Underdark under the Tent.
If you have the Silver Blade on you, then they want it back and are
prepared to fight and die to get it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.4 } } } } Exit from the Underdark (AR 2402)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- KUO-TOA DUNGEON (for the Kuo-Toa blood for Matron Ardulace)

This one is by far the hardest to spot. From the Underdark head west.
Go to just south of the Svirfneblin bridge. Then continue west into the
darkness. You will find that you can travel at (x 150 y 1840). It's not
marked on the map, and if you didn't know it was there, you might go
right by it.

If you did the Silver Dragon Quest, then you will appear at the END of
this particular level. In that case you may want to backtrack to find
all the spiffy items.

Anyway, go right. There are many strange symbols drawn on the ground.
The spiral indicates "danger". Go up the northern "spiraly" path to find
some beholders. (well one Beholder and 2 Gauth) These things are easily
killed by anyone with the proper Cloak of Mirroring (or Shield of
Balduran). Go back.

Now go up the northeastern passage (x 1230 y 1315). There are a group of
Kuo-toans here, including some wizards. Finish them off. Then search
the nearby pool to get some Tainted Tadpoles. Go back.

This time we go right. The path will split, one portion going north and
another continuing right. We want to keep going right, however, the
way is dangerous as a Flame Strike will hit you. Cross over and open the
big door (x 2800 y 1670).

- THE DEMOGORGON

Within is an empty room with several statues. At the top of the room is
a gigantic statue of a Demogorgon. It asks you to put a sacrifice in
front of it to "awaken the five." This is best done by casting "Animal
Summoning" or a similar spell, and putting the animal in front of the
statue. The animals dies, and the five demon knights appear.

Each of the Demon Knights is tough, does level drain and has some odd
spell casting abilities (such as Horror). Kill them.

16,000 experience each
Two Handed Swords +1
Soul Reaver: Two handed Sword +4 (not usable by Good)
Girdle of Frost Giant Strength (21 STR, part of the Crom Faeyr)
Armor of the Hart: Full Plate +3

Go back to the passage, and take the northern path.

- BLOOD OF A KUO-TOA

Just a little ways up the passage you will run into another large group
of Kuo-Toa's. Take these goons out.

Continue northeast into a small round room. It may have Kuo-Toa's in it,
or they may be in its two side rooms. In the right room you will find
the Kuo-Toa Prince. Kill him.

Kuo-Toa Prince - 4000 experience
Blood
Gems
Gold
Bracers of Blinding Strike (casts improved Haste)

Oh, and if you want to, you can put the Tainted Tadpoles in the pools in
the right room. (If this is done before the battle, it weakens the
Prince)

- EXIT

Now if you did the quest for Matron Ardulace, go back the way you came.
However, if you need to, you can leave the Underdark completely to the
left. I wouldn't recommend that, but if you have to, why not. (Your
disguise WILL fail if you attempt to leave, and then you can never
return to Ust Natha)

If you were merely teleported here by Adalon, then fight through the
Drow guards (some have good EXP, but none have good items) to exit the
area through the gates to the left.

- TO THE SURFACE (AR 2401)

This next series of passages leads to the surface. You will first
encounter a large Drow war party that needs to be taken out. Go up to
the next room to find Drow warring with surface Elves. They tell you to
get to the surface and talk to Captain Elhan. There is another battle
through the northwest doors.

Open the southwest doors (x 800 y 520) and go through. There is yet
another battle with Drow here. Continue through. Open the last door and
exit to the surface.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. } } } } Chapter 6: Back to Athkatla
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

You exit and are confronted by Elves who at first think you are Drow, but
even when they realize their error, still don't like you. You are taken
to see the Elven leaders, first a General, then Elhan...

Walkthrough:
------------

- ELHAN'S QUESTIONS

Elhan now will grill you on your various adventures. He has a sage
behind him who will verify the veracity of your statements (sort of like
a polygraph test). Just answer truthfully and things will go better.
For example, on the first question I told him that I left the Drow
"bloodied and battered... I did not flee." The conversation at first is
an exchange of information... mostly from you to them. Then once they
know that you know more than they, they want you to help them. They need
the Lanthorn to re-enter the city, but it was stolen by Bodhi. You must
find her and retrieve the item. Ask for their help in this matter and
get Holy Water and Stakes off of them.

If Viconia is in the party they force her to swear a Geas to serve you.

- GATHER ALLIES TO ASSAULT BODHI, DRIZZT

Naturally the first thing you will want to do upon exiting the Underdark
is to head over to Cromwell to make the Crom Faeyr, Long Sword of the
Equalizer and Gesen Bow. (all of which we have now found all the pieces
for)

However, on your way anywhere, you will bump into Drizzt Do'Urden and
his friends: Bruenor, Wulfgar, Regis and Catti-Brie (from the Salvatore
novels). If you happen to have killed Drizzt in the previous game (and
imported a save-game) then Drizzt is fairly hostile to you. If your
imported character had any of Drizzt's items, then he starts out fairly
hostile to you. Otherwise he is fairly friendly to you. He is, after
all, a force for GOOD in the world.

The point of Drizzt is to ask him to help you fight down the evil Vampire
Bodhi, which he promises to do. If you do that, then you can simply
meet him in her crypt in the Graveyard.

EVIL Parties: I'm betting, however, that many of you are going to fight
Drizzt to try to steal his nifty items. First off, this
makes you EVIL, as Drizzt is good. Secondly, several
party members will leave your party (or attack you) if
you do this:

Jaheira (leaves, goes to Athkatla)
Keldorn (leaves your party and attacks you)

Others aren't happy about it, but don't complain.

When the fight begins, Drizzt immediately summons forth
his spectral panther, Guenwhyvar to help him. I'd take
out Drizzt first, followed quickly by Catti-Brie. They
are the two fiercest here. Then concentrate on Wulfgar,
Guenhwyvar and Bruenor. Save Regis for last. This battle
shouldn't be too hard for you.

Catti-Brie - 12,000 experience
Tansheron's Bow +3
Long Sword +2
Chainmail +2

Regis - 1500 experience
Leather Armor +1
Mace +2
Ruby Pendant (Dire Charm 1x/day)

Bruenor - 3500 experience
Battle Axe +3
Mithril Field Plate +2

Wulfgar - 3000 experience
Aegis Fang (War Hammer +3)

Guenhwyvar - 1400 experience

Drizzt - 12,000 experience
Scimitar +5, Defender
Scimitar +3, Frostbrand
Mithril Chainmail +4

If you DO kill them and steal their things, later Malchor
Harpell will appear and attempt to retrieve these items.
(This often leads to strange bugs, where he doesn't
actually do anything, but keeps hanging around).

- GATHER MORE ALLIES

If you didn't want Drizzt as an Ally, there are other places to look for
friends. (You don't actually need any allies if you are confident enough
in your battle abilities)

The Shadow Thieves: Talk to Aran Linvail (basement of the Shadow Thieves
Guild) and ask him to back you up when you invade Bodhi's place and he
will send his "best" assassins out to help you.

Order of the Radiant Heart: Head over to the Order and a Squire will
meet with you. Then talk to Prelate Wesselan in the side room and ask
for his help in defeating Bodhi and he will send a contingent of Paladins
out to the Tomb to help out. (Interestingly, one of the Paladins sent has
the Two Handed Sword +3: Harbinger, that when it hits may hit with a
Fireball as well)

You may also be able to convince a Temple to help you IF that Temple is
your Stronghold.

- BODHI FINALE

Head over to the Graveyard to listen to Bodhi. If you are currently in a
Romance with someone, that person will be turned Cyan (such that you
cannot talk to them) and a battle between your party and Bodhi's vampires
breaks out. Your romantic interest will then be spirited away.

Head out to the entrance to the lower levels (x 590 y 980). The other
entrances are mostly barred to prevent entry. Go down into the crypt.
If you have allies down here, you will find them fighting away. I will
assume that you have no allies, so any allies you have will merely help
you. (although you get no experience for anything the "allies" kill)

Search the two nearby containers to find some spells (and some Stakes if
you need them):

Spells - Finger of Death
Symbol of Death

We're on the same battle plan as the first time we came here, namely kill
Vampires with names, and Stake them when they retreat to their coffins.
Go up the passage to find Valen and Del. Kill them, then enter the room
to the left to Stake the two of them.

Go up the northern passage (x 360 y 1080) to the blood bath room.
Here you will find more vampires (Salia, Meredath) and a pool of blood.
Kill the vampires. Neither of them deserve staking. Then go up to the
Pool and click it twice to use the Holy Water on it. This cleanses the
pool and weakens the vampires.

Go through the passage to the right. There you will find a HORDE of
vampires (hence why you wanted the allies, I would think). Simply go
forward until a couple vampires come your way, kill them, go a little
further forward, do some more, and so on. When the last of this room's
many vampires are dead, go back to the Coffin room and Stake it.

Tip: Other ways to kill vampires would be to launch Cloudkills into
the room, use Turn Undead (from an Evil priest you seize control
of Vampires and can turn them on each other).

Head into the next passage to the right to get to the Spiky Room. Here
you find a Guard Vampire, who casts spells on himself. Nothing a good
Breach spell can't remove. (x 2150 y 675) Enter the spiky room. There
are many Vampiric Mists and Traps in here. Search the center blood pool
to find:

Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise (+1 THAC0, +2 Damage)
Stakes

Back to the main room, and take the stairs to the lower level.
(x 1575 y 550)

If any of the three allies came with you (Drizzt, Eric the Paladin or
Arkanis the Shadow Thief) then they will automatically appear with you
(even if it didn't look like they understood what stairs are). This
first passage has 2 traps in it before you reach the door. Arkanis will
detrap these if he is with you.

Michael Schneider has a battle plan:

I recommend the following course of action if you have the
Mace of Destruction +2: Allow NO ONE to fight in the final Bodhi
battle save your strongest fighter with this weapon and some good
armor equipped (you won't take much *physical* damage in this battle
if your AC is -7 or lower), and a Cloak of Spell-turning (or Shield
of Balduran). The Mace of Destruction renders him immune to
level-drain (and the level-drain ability of the vampires and even
fledgling-vampires are enhanced for this battle; presumably this is
what the Holy Water weakens), which means that all of your party
(being unaffected) will be eligible for the big XP payoff at the
conclusion. Otherwise you'll need to cast a lot of Restorations
before staking her.

Open the door to find Bodhi. She gives her final Evil Rant and attacks.
If your lover was turned, you will find them here and they will attack
you forcing you to kill them. Go up to the Pool (any of them) and use
a Holy Water on it to weaken the vampires further. Kill Bodhi (91,000
experience) and she will flee to her coffin in the top right room. Go
up there and Stake her. (x 1700 y 100) This gets you:

55,000 + 48,500 experience for each character
Rhynn Lanthorn (needed to enter the elven city)

Before leaving be sure to get:

Bodhi's Black Heart
Body of your Lover (if applicable)
The Vapiricus Omnibus: Unabridged (from the top left room)

- RESTORE YOUR LOVER

Well, before we go to Chapter Seven we have to undo the rest of what
Bodhi did, namely we have to reverse the vampirism. The Vapiricus
Omnibus mentions the god Amaunator, whose temple we restored when we
defeated the Shade Lord (or, if you didn't do that, check out the Umar
Hills section). Go to the Temple Ruins area.

Enter the temple ruins. Make your way to the lettered-floor room
(where you can only cross safely by stepping on the letters AMAUNATOR)
cross and enter the left room with the giant statue. Place the Body and
Bodhi's Heart in the arms of the statue (x 2615 y 1620). Your lover will
be restored back to life and will be very thankful.

- RETURN THE LANTHORN

Go back to the 'exit from the underdark' area and talk to Elhan again.
Everything he says just reveals more and more that the elves knew
Irenicus and Bodhi from before. However, he does not wish to tell you
the entire story, and says that if you can rescue the Priestess Demin
from the city, Suldanessellar, then she will reveal all to you. (everyone
gets 74,500 experience) This is continued in the section titled
'Suldanessellar.'

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Restore Yoshimo's Soul

If you still have Yoshimo's (black) heart, you can try to remove
the Geas that holds his soul. Take it to any Priest of Ilmater
(for example, the Temple that is on the Roof of the Copper Coronet)
and ask that they help him. For this you gain 200,000 experience.

And no, Yoshimo cannot be resurrected after this. But hey, you did
save his soul!

OTHER: Find the Silver Hilt for the Vorpal Sword

You've had the Silver Blade forever now (assuming you went with
Saemon) and are probably wondering just when you are going to get
that pesky hilt for it. Well, when wandering near the Adventurer's
Mart in Waukeen's Promenade I encountered Kruin, a mean Gith who
needs the Sword to re-enter Limbo.

Refuse to hand over the sword and he starts casting spells like
crazy. Did I mention that he has several Gith buddies around?
Kill them to get the Silver Hilt, used to finish the Vorpal Sword.
(Rhetorical question, why didn't the Cowled Wizards show up when
the Gith started casting spells?)

OTHER: The Doppleganger Brigands

While traveling between areas you will be "waylaid" by a group of
what appears to be peasants. They ask if you are the famous
adventurer, renowned throughout the Sword Coast. Say yes and they
suddenly turn themselves into cloned versions of your party! Who
knows what diabolical scheme they have concocted to use with a
cloned version of your party. Kill them. I didn't really find
anything else remarkable about them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.1 } } } } Three New Areas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- AREA ONE: SMALL TEETH PASS (AR 1700)

You probably couldn't help but notice that when you emerged from the
Underdark there were 3 new areas on your map. From left to right these
are: Small Teeth Pass, North Forest and the Forest of Tethir. We'll
hit them in that order starting with the Small Teeth Pass. There is
nothing in the Small Teeth Pass. Sure, you can fight some Wolfwere's,
or Vampiric Mists or even Gnolls, but other than that you won't find a
single thing of significance here. On to the next area.

- AREA TWO: NORTH FOREST (AR 1800)

This area is very small, but actually does have more significant things
in it. There is a grave (x 1550 y 525) near the top of the map that has
some random treasures in it. Yes, you heard me, random. Nothing great,
possibly some spells, potions or gems. At night this grave is guarded
by some Genies (a Djinn and an Efreet).

Further down from that you will find another set of graves, this one
defended by a Mage, a Priest and their goons. I would take out the mage
first to prevent him from casting his Time Stop and other spells. You
can search them, but they don't have any great treasures.

- AREA THREE: FOREST OF TETHIR (AR 2600)

Unlike the previous two areas, this one actually has something in it! A
Quest even! With murder and intrigue! You will likely start out at the
top of the map. Immediately to your right you will see a cage hanging
from a tree (x 2320 y 225). This is the Wolfwere camp and becomes
significant later. From there go south to the branch (x 2430 y 1630)
go left onto the branch and from there onto the really big fallen tree.
Go north up this tree to the next branch (x 1600 y 1180). Go left on
this branch to reach the Cabin.

Here you will meet up with Coran (x 580 y 1130) who tells you that he
wandered out here with Safana but now she has been kidnapped by
Wolfweres. Agree to help him out. (Also you can search the left side
of the cabin to find a minor treasure, it's on the wall) If you enter
his cabin you will find it overrun by Vampiric Mists and similar
creatures. There are also some +1 and +2 items in here, but by this
point in the game that isn't very noteworthy!

Leave the cabin and return to the Wolfwere camp to find Coran. Lanfear
has been "holding" Safana captive, but it turns out that they are in
cahoots and are out to get you for some bounty or another. Treachery!
And you thought Yoshimo hurt! (Safana and Coran were with you in Baldur's
Gate) However, Lanfear has her own plot to steal Coran away, and kills
Safana once he is there. A battle soon breaks out. Try to keep Coran
alive if you want (isn't important). If your main character was Female
then Lanfear simply kills Coran before the battle. (such is life, I
suppose) And that is that for Coran.

Back onto the left log (x 2020 y 1620). This time take it south to where
it intersects with another log (x 3040 y 2800). Now there is a branch
just to the south (and a little east) that leads south off of this
log (x 3240 y 2960). This leads to another branch that goes east.

Go north once you are off the branch until you reach the Door (x 4500
y 2220). Enter. Search the lake:

Mana Bow +4 (20% magic resistance)
minor treasures

There's nothing else worth looking at in here, so leave. (If you did go
into the back room, be sure to check for traps first) We're also done
with this area, so you can leave.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. } } } } Chapter 7: Suldanessellar (AR 2800)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

Elhan uses the Lanthorn to open a hole in the tree to the Elven City of
Suldanessellar (everyone in the party gets another 74,500 experience).
The elves then re-enter their city and bid you to follow them...

Walkthrough:
------------

- SULDANESSELLAR

In case you are wondering, you are in the Forest of Tethir to start with
(see the above section 'Three New Areas' if you haven't been here
already). Enter the city. The elves move out to look for survivors, and
Elhan tells you to be careful and look for Ellesime.

We are currently in the bottom right portion of the map. Go north to
find the first building (x 4640 y 2500). Enter. Kill the three Golems
in here to save the two elves. They reveal that you will find Priestess
Demin in a house in the Southwestern part of the city, then leave.
Search the large bookcase on the right (x 680 y 270) to find the:

Stone Horn (needed)
Darts

The container just north of that bookcase holds a:

Cloak of Elvenkind (Hide in Shadows +50%)

The rest of the containers hold merely minor treasures. Exit the
building.

Head up the northwestern path (x 4515 y 2450). Beware Golems that may
lurk around here. There was a group of Rakshasa's (x 4060 y 1950) just
outside the next building. Be ready for a large battle, and enter the
building. If you cast Protection from Evil 10' on your party, then the
Glabrezu will not attack you. Once inside take out the mage first and
the rest will be easy. There is nothing else to be done here for the
moment, but remember this place (Temple of Rillifane), we will be back.
Exit.

Note: If you have the artifacts of Rillifane before coming here the
first time, and quickly placed them in the Altar, you could let
the Avatar of Rillifane fight this battle for you. (Rolander)

Head down the southwest path to the unmarked building (x 3160 y 2730).
There will probably be more Golems here to fight. Go up the stairs on
the building to rescue some elves. Tell them to get to the gates. South
of this building is a platform where some elves and trolls are fighting.
Once the trolls are defeated the elves "move out" to help out other
sections of the city.

- THE SYMBOL OF RILLIFANE

Go down the next southwest passage to the next building (x 2080 y 3240).
Enter the TOP room first, and search it until you find the Wardstone.
Then leave that room and enter the lower room. You can find the Meteor
Swarm spell on the fireplace mantle. To the right you will see three
dead elves around an odd piece of furniture. The answers to this thing's
questions can be found on the wardstone. Go up and use the thing:

First: Press the Rune of Corellan Lotharian
2nd: Press the Symbol of Rillifane
3rd: Press the elven Symbol of Water
4th: Press the Rune that denotes the Tree of Life

Do that correctly to get the Symbol of Rillifane. Leave this room.

- THE PRIESTESS DEMIN

Go west (where you will see Elves battling skeletal warriors), then
northwest to get to Demin's House (x 780 y 2140), which is guarded by a
Drow and a Demon. Go up the stairs and enter the building. Inside you
will find Demin fighting three Rakshasa's:

Girdle of Stone Giant Strength (20 STR)

On the shelf behind her you will find:

Spell - Absolute Immunity

Afterwards talk to Demin to learn all about Irenicus' past and why he has
invaded the elven city. She also has an idea to help clear the city of
its current pest problem, to restore the Guardians of the forest. What
you need is to find the three artifacts of Rillifane: The Cup, the
Symbol and the Moonblade. We already got the Symbol, all we need is the
Cup, which is on the Dragon to the northwest and the Moonblade, which is
in the Temple of the Moon to the east.

Leave her house.

- THE ARTIFACTS OF RILLIFANE

Go up the northern path to the Harpist's House (x 1060 y 625). Outside
the house a group of elves are fighting some golems. If you manage to
save the elves they give you 13,000 experience. Enter the building.
Search the desk in the top left to find:

Stone Harp (companion to the Stone Horn)

Leave the building.

Go up to the northwest passage (x 500 y 725). This path leads to a new
area with the Black Dragon that we must defeat to get the Golden Cup of
Rillifane. Take the passage. Once at the new area, cast whatever
protective spells you wish (I used Haste, Protection from Evil and
Mazzy's Protection from Fear), then go southwest and fight the dragon.

You can try to reason with him, but he won't fall for it, and a battle is
inevitable. Just keep his spell defenses down and attack. By this point
in the game you should be mighty enough to easily whack this pest.

Nizidramanii'yt - 52,000 experience
Golden Goblet of Life (fancier name)
Bladesinger Chain +4 (elven chainmail, AC 1)
Minor Treasures

Once the Dragon is dead, head back the way you came.

Alternatively: You can give the Dragon everything you have (gold and
items) for the Goblet. Naturally, you'll want to drop
all your items before doing this.

Go southeast, past the Harpist's House, southeast down the next passage
to get to the House of the Moon (x 1830 y 1450) and site of the final
artifact of Rillifane. Enter.

Within the house you get to watch as an elf kills a Balor, but is
destroyed himself in the process. Search the elf's remains to find the
Moonblade. Then search the rest of the room to find:

Boots of Elvenkind
Spells - Gate

Return to the Temple of Rillifane and place the three sacred objects
(Cup, Moonblade and Amulet) in the Altar in the center. This will
create the Avatar of Rillifane who is irritated that his temple has been
defiled by Irenicus. (everyone gets 65,000 experience) After talking
with you he summons forth the Guardians of the Forest, who clear out the
city and unseal the Palace for you to enter. You also get:

Staff of the Woodlands +4 (+3 AC, best weapon for Druids)

Leave the temple. Just outside the temple will be a new elf, Reirra, who
offers to sell you things. When you are ready head up to the Palace
(x 3450 y 600). Near the House of the Moon you will find some elves in
conflict with some monsters. Help out (although the elves seem to get
dominated).

- THE PALACE

Go up to the tree and keep using it until you get all the nuts (the
screen will fade to black). There is now only one door to go through,
so go through it. This leads to a pleasant garden with a waterfall in
the center. To the left are two statues, use the statues to put the
Stone Horn and Stone Harp on them. (3000 exp each) This removes the
waterfall and replaces it with a staircase. Go down the stairs. (after
first talking to your party members about the upcoming battle)

- THE TREE OF LIFE

When you first enter this area, Ellesime talks to you. She tells you
that you need to slay 3 parasites on the tree in order to weaken Irenicus
to the point where he can be defeated.

From where you start, go all the way left (x 1970 y 450) and one of your
Seeds will grow into a new branch that continues left. Go left to find
the first parasite (x 1430 y 140). Click on it to try to kill it,
however it has a defender that leaps out to attack you. (for me it was
2 Earth Elementals) Once they are dead, click on the parasite to kill
it. One down, two to go.

Go a little left and down from the first parasite and a new branch will
grow in. Cross it and go down. (x 877 y 1070) Follow this path down to
find the second parasite (x 1180 y 1480). Click on it until its
guardians attack you (air elementals). Once they are dead, kill the
second Parasite and Ellesime will contact you again. She is very excited
now and thinks there is a good chance that you could kill Irenicus. (or
as she calls him, Joneleth) One more Parasite to go.

Go down. You will pass right by Irenicus (x 1800 y 2035), go past him
on the path that leads eastwards. (x 2340 y 2400) Another branch will
grow in, cross it. Keep going right until you find the final parasite
(x 2875 2025). Do the same thing to kill it. When the last parasite
dies you are automatically teleported over to Irenicus.

- BATTLE WITH IRENICUS

There are many ways to fight Irenicus. Some might suggest summoning a
Nishruu or Hakeashar to deal with him. Others would recommend using
Protection from Magic scrolls. An easy strategy that often works is to
let him cast some spells, then just wander off for awhile. Most mages
don't follow you, and it can easily allow you to do what you will
(protective magics, healing, etc.). But perhaps the easiest strategy
for dealing with Irenicus comes from Xar: Since you can reach Irenicus
before killing the parasites, fill his areas with the nastiest traps you
have (either you need to be a thief or have Jan along – Imoen/Nalia’s
trap skill is too poor). The traps won’t activate until you get the
arch-villain speech. Seven traps (with some special snare or advanced)
will kill him before he can raise a single barrier. Next.

When Irenicus is dead, everyone is sucked into hell with him. If anyone
died, don't worry about their possessions, they will appear in hell
with you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.1 } } } } The Nine Hells (AR 2900)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

When Irenicus died, your stolen soul did not return to you and as a result
you followed Irenicus into hell. Imoen has a theory as to why the same
didn't happen with her, that Bodhi's vampirism made the soul transfer
easier. In any case, you must find Irenicus and finish things, once and
for all.

Walkthrough:
------------

- BHAAL'S TEARS: SAREVOK

Well that big giant door to the north seems like a likely place to have
to end out eventually, if only you could open it. Go over to the left
(x 575 y 840) and down the stairs.

Note: Each of these "tests" has a GOOD and an EVIL way to accomplish
them. Which you do has some fairly drastic effects when you
get around to opening the final doors.

Alternate Route: (from Henning Roes)

In your walkthrough you walked left and started with the Wraith of
Sarevok. If you walk right instead it seems that whatever you do you
will stay good. In my first game I went left and everything was like
you described. In my second and third game I went right and wasn't
able to get the evil reward or become evil. I sacrificed a peasent
for example by choosing the evil path to avoid the loss of DEX. When
I placed the Tear my alignment didn't change and I got the 'good'
reward. Same in every other cave.

The exception is the Wraith of Sarevok. When I showed him my wrath I
got the evil reward and my alignment changed.

There is even a small benefit by going right beside the benefits
mentioned above. Sarevok's Wraith is not able to hurt you when you're
immune to 0/+1-weapons. You can kill him with a dagger or your fists.

Walk forward a little to find Wraith Sarevok (he was the final bad-guy in
the first Baldur's Gate, if you didn't play it). Talk to him. He tells
you just about everything you will need to know about this hell you are
in. How you need to collect the Tears of Bhaal to open that door, and
to confront Irenicus for your soul. If you get really mad at Sarevok and
yell at him and so forth, then your stats will be increased. (It's along
the lines of you deserving the power of the Slayer) My Barbarian gained
+1 STR. That, however, is the EVIL path.

Note: Choosing the evil path when fighting Sarevok's Wraith gives you
+1 STR. This is permanently added to your STR. The +2 reward is
added to your actual equipment. For example: You have STR19,
gain the +1 then you have 20. Adding the +2 gives you 21. If
you're wearing a girdle of STR21 then your STR is increased to
21+2=23. (Henning Roes)

Go back up. Then go down, and left to the next staircase (x 830 y 1830).

- BHAAL'S TEARS: GREED

You will immediately confront a demon by the name of Greed. He greets
you and gives you the Blackrazor longsword (a +3 weapon with many good
effects).

Walk forward to find the trapped Genie. He gives you a little riddle.
The gist of which is that to free him and gain the Tear of Bhaal that you
need requires the use of the Blackrazor. You can either give him the
sword (20,000 exp) or you can kill him with it. (11,000 exp) In any case
once you have the tear go back up. Giving him the sword is the GOOD
path, killing him the EVIL path.

Go right, then down the center stairs (x 2100 y 2200).

- BHAAL'S TEARS: SELFISH

Walk forward to find the demon Selfish. It tells you that it has a Tear
but that you have to prove yourself worthy. It then steals one of your
companions (and if you happen to HAVE no companions, then it steals a
mortal from some random place... I have also heard that you can simply
dismiss an NPC before going here and he will still summon the peasant).
Then the choice becomes thus, if you go on the left path you must
sacrifice to save this person, if you go right you sacrifice nothing
(but the person being held is killed).

If you take the Left path, you will lose:

First Door: 2 HP from maximum
Second Door: 1 point of Dexterity
Third Door: Experience

Ard has an interesting alternative:

I have found a way around it. I came in with my main char and Imoen (I
did the whole game with one but kept Imoen when she returned) so Imoen
was taken hostage. She wore the boots of speed (perhaps haste works
too). I paused immediately when she appeared below and cued her to run
to the bottom left door and open it *from the inside*. Imoen could
just reach this before being held.

The demon was satisfied, gave up the tear and buzzed off without any of
the damage described.

Andrew Scarvell has another interesting alternative:

I found this out quite by accident. One of my multiplayer characters,
a female gnome illusionist/thief (aka Wierdo), had a Dispel Magic spell
stored away in a Contingency, set to go off if the character became
"helpless". Anyway, Wierdo was spirited away by Selfish, and had the
Hold spell put on her, thus rendering her helpless. The Contingency
spell therefore kicked in, and the dispel magic freed her.

Now, with Wierdo free in the demon's domain, she could simply talk to
the demon and the GOOD path was automatically chosen. She was then
able to open the final left door at her leisure, which caused the main
character to lose some experience, but this was the only penalty I
suffered as the other doors are now inactive. No loss of DEX or HP.
And I didn't cheat in any way - in fact it was positively in spirit
with the game, as a very innovative (or lucky) application of the
contingency/dispel magic combo. This is quite similar to Ard's cheat
involving the boots of speed, except that it isn't a cheat.

If you take the right path, YOU lose nothing, but the person held dies.
This is a permanent death (unless you have the Rules set to the easier
levels). Also if you are a Paladin or a Ranger you will become Fallen.
Naturally making the sacrifice is GOOD, and getting them killed is EVIL.

There is also some minor treasure by where your companion is held. Time
to leave this area, go back and get to the next set of stairs to the
right.

- BHAAL'S TEARS: FEAR

You will immediately encounter the Fear Demon. He tells you that there
are horrible fiends beyond him that will devour you alive. Your only
hope is a magical Nymph-skin cloak that he has. Don't take the cloak as
you don't need it. Taking the cloak is the EVIL path, not taking it is
the GOOD path.

Tip: Cast Remove Fear on your party ahead of time.

Past this demon there are two paths, a northern one that leads to
Beholders and a southern one that has a Fear aura on it. Take the
southern passage to the right, skip by the treasure chest. At the end
of the path is a bright red crystal. Click it to get the Tear of Bhaal.

Go back out, and there is only one last set of stairs to hit. (x 3385
y 1000)

- BHAAL'S TEARS: PRIDE

Here you will meet with the final demon, Pride. He has a big long speech
since he is the last demon (actually any of them will give you this
speech if you do them last). Then he tells you that to get the last tear
you must defeat a big evil monster. Ask him what KIND of monster it is.
Then keep bugging him about the creature. Why does it deserve death?
Keep bugging him until he admits that the creature might just give you
the tear anyway.

Go forward to find the Dragon and it will give you the tear. That was
easy, wasn't it. Doing it that way is the GOOD path, fighting the dragon
anyway is the EVIL path.

There are some potions in a hidden container to the left by the red
glowing crystals.

If you chose to fight whatever was in there, it will be a Red Dragon and
it will have some interesting treasures, but at this point in the game,
it isn't really worthwhile.

Go back out.

- IRENICUS FINALE

I bet you're just saying to yourself, just how many times must I kill
Irenicus before he finally dies!? Well just this one more time, honest.

Head up to the Big Door (x 2050 y 400) and click it. Click it again to
remove the seals. (and again...) Depending on whether you did the
tests as "Good" or "Evil" you get these bonuses: (bonuses from ANDY)

FEAR TEAR (the Nymph cloak)
Good: Immunity to +1 weapons or less
Evil: +2 CON

SELFISHNESS TEAR (sacrifice for companion)
Good: +10 resistance to magic
Evil: +2 to your AC

GREED TEAR (the Blackrazor sword)
Good: +2 to all saving throws
Evil: +15 to HP

PRIDE TEAR (the dragon)
Good: +20% resistances to fire, cold and electricity
Evil: Gain 200,000 experience

WRATH TEAR (Sarevok)
Good: +1 to WIS and CHA
Evil: +2 to STR

IMPORTANT NOTE: If in any of the above tests you choose the Evil Path,
you lose one reputation point and also have the
alignment changed over to evil (if you were good or
neutral).

When the door opens, Irenicus blasts out to face you one last time. This
time, it's personal.

This time Irenicus summons forth 4 demons and then becomes the Slayer.
I ignored Irenicus and killed the demons first, then I concentrated all
firepower on Irenicus. I found this battle to be easier than the earlier
battle with him, but that is just me. He also will teleport around the
area. When he dies, he dies rather spectacularly.

And so the game ends...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X1. } } } } Stronghold Walkthroughs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These do not tell you how to get the Hold, (though they do tell you where to
start) these are intended to tell you what to do with the Hold when you get
it. Only the main character gets a stronghold. That means if your main
character is a Fighter, Monk or Barbarian, you get the Warrior Stronghold.
Sorcerers get the Mage Stronghold.

Warrior --} De'Arnise Hold

Talk to Nalia in the Copper Coronet in the Slums to get this
quest started. Then at the successful completion of the quest,
Nalia gives you the fortress as thanks. You MUST accept the
Stronghold when she first offers it! If you do not, it will
be seized by her enemies.

This stronghold's primary ability is to raise money, which it
does at a rate of 500 gp per week. This gold is collected in
the library on the second floor. You can also sleep anywhere in
the Keep. Also you can "raise the tax rate," which results in
an instant 1000 gp gain, but makes the people less happy. You
want to keep your people happy since when they get too unhappy
they will revolt. And if they revolt you lose control of the
Keep.

Plus about once a week someone will come to visit you at the
hold. These are "mini-quests" and usually involve a choice on
your part. Most of these are worth only experience. The best
time to know when to return to your keep is when you get the
message saying that "Gold has been placed in your Keep".

Event 1: Angry Merchant. Tolmas Bendelia is here and he is
quite upset. His caravan was waylaid by bandits in
your land and he wants restitution. From you. If you
do NOT pay him, he threatens to make life miserable
for your people. The caravan was worth 1000 gold.
You can either pay him the money, buy the debts of the
farmers, or laugh him out of your sight. Once that
is done you must decide what to do about the bandits.
You can hire mercenaries for 500 gold, 250 gold or
ignore them. Depending on your answers you get exp:

Buy debts for 1000 and 500 for mercenaries: 15,000
Pay him 1000 and 500 for mercenaries: 15,000
Pay him 1000 and 250 for mercenaries: 0
Pay him 500 (CHA of 15+) and 500 for mercs: 15,000

Event 2: The Guard Thief. Captain Cernick has caught one of
your guards stealing. Cernick, if asked, would have
the man executed immediately, but that won't gain you
anything. Talk to the thief and learn his side of the
story. Turns out he has a very good excuse (medicine
for wife). You can execute him, expel him from the
guard or help him out. The medicine costs 500 gold.

Forgive him: 15,500 exp
Expel him: 11,500 exp
Execute: nothing

Buying the medicine makes the people like you more,
and less likely to revolt.

Event 3: The Cleric of Tempus (Tempos). A priest of Tempus
wants to set up shop in your Keep. He's a very odd
character, and not someone that you will like.
Keldorn will recommend him, while Anomen doesn't like
him.

Let him stay: 15,500 exp
Don't take stranger into keep: 11,500 exp
Tell him to beat it: nothing

If you do keep him, you can find him upstairs in the
Golem area. It requires going through some secret
doors but it is your own temple.

Also letting him stay makes the people like you more.

Event 4: Somewhere around 2 weeks later (for me it was 16 days)
a messenger appears and tells you to get back to the
Hold within the next week OR ELSE.

Once you are there you meet with Lord Farthington
Roenall who wants you to give up the Keep. I suggest
you NOT do that.

Event 5: Chanelle the Maid. She has two men who wish to marry
her and only you can decide which she is to marry.
The first, Jessup, is poor but she loves him. The
second, Malvolio, is rich but she doesn't love him.

Marry Jessup: 15,500 exp
Marry Malvolio: 11,500 exp

If you let her marry Jessup then you have the option
of providing a dowry. A 500 gold dowry makes the
people like you more.

If you let her marry Malvolio, the people like you
less. However, if you refuse his 500 gp, then they
like you more (however, the two cancel each other out
so you end out where you started).

Event 6: The two moneylenders. They claim that the previous
Lord De'Arnise borrowed money from them and that you
are responsible for paying it. The Major Domo says
that there was no such debt, and that they could have
forged the documents themselves. You can pay them
their money if you wish, but you get no experience
from it. Either threaten them with executions or have
them executed.

Turns out they are blackmailers, but they might have
a hold over your people. If you didn't buy off the
blackmailers, you have to pay your people.

500 gold: 11,500 exp
1000 gold: 15,500 exp (and people like you more)

And not paying makes the people angry with you.

Event 7: Flooding. The old dikes have broken flooding the
land. Several angry farmers demand satisfaction from
you. You need to spend money to repair the farms:

5000 gold: 15,500 exp
partial: 4500 exp
none: nothing (and this makes a revolt more likely)

If you do a partial amount, you get experience based
on how much you shell out:

4000 gold: 6500 exp
3000 gold: 4500 exp
2000 gold: 2500 exp
1000 gold: nothing

And the less you pay, the more angry at you they
become.

Then you need to spend money to repair the dike:

2000 gold: the people like you more
none: nothing (possible bad effects with Roenall)

Listen to what the farmers say when they leave. If
they compliment you, then the people like you, if
they say... not so nice things, beware.

Event 8: Invasion. Lord Roenall now intends to take this Keep
by force and has invaded your lands. Your forces will
not hold up long. What you are asked to do is go out
to the battle and kill Lord Roenall, thus ending the
invasion. Captain Cernick asks that you go out to
help with the battle.

Just past the drawbridge you'll find the two opposing
forces. After Roenall taunts you, attack him with
everything you have. All you have to do is kill him
and the battle ends.

Roenall - 12,000 exp
Full Plate Mail +1
Bastard Sword +1

Back inside you are told the Keep is yours forever
more (assuming you don't tax yourself into a revolt)
and you get 50,000 exp. Be sure to search Roenall
afterwards.

The Keep is now yours forever, to generate an income, and be
a base of operations.

Priest --} Cult at the Temple District

Normally when you go to the Temple District you see a cult form,
and a Priest of Helm talks to you. Well when you go here as a
Priest, a representative from your Temple (ie Lathander) tells
you to come with him.

Return to whomever gave you the quest to accept your reward
(I got 8000 gold from Lathander as well as a Reputation +1).
They then give you a room in the temple and you are part of the
temple now. Then talk to their Acolyte to learn what you need
to be doing now.

Lathander - Acolyte Lara
Helm - Acolyte Byron
Talos - Acolyte Vilon

You then have to meet with some people and help them out. Talk
to the person, decide on a course of action. Then wait until
they return to tell you the results. After 24 hours or so, the
Acolyte will return to grade your performance. (The people are
the same in all temples, however the reward for what you have
them do changes)

Note: If you do something that the church you are a member of
doesn't like (such as a Priest of Lathander telling
someone to "kill all the witnesses") then you will be
stripped of your title.

Lathander: (best choices)

Glinden - Wife is unfaithful. Tell him to forgive her and let
her do as she will. Later the Acolyte comes and
evaluates your performance. (20,000 exp)
Ti'Vael - Killed a man. Have him pay restitution to the man's
family. 48 hours he returns. (20,000 exp)
Rania - Lost her faith. Give her time to think about
things. 48 hours later Acolyte Lara reappears and
gives you 20,000 exp.
Cortirso - You were instantly promoted over this gentleman in
the church, and he demands satisfaction (a duel).
Don't fight him and Lara will give you 20,000 exp.

Lara then gives you the task to assassinate the
Weathermistress Ada, chief of the Talos Temple. Every
follower of Talos is now your enemy. Head over to the Temple
and kill Ada. Return to Lara for your reward: 1000 gold and
35,000 experience.

Helm: (best choices)

Glinden - Wife is unfaithful. Tell him to remind his wife of
their vows. Byron will return later and give you
20,000 exp.
Ti'Vael - Killed a man. Tell him to turn himself in to the
authorities. Byron gives you 20,000 exp.
Rania - Lost her faith. Stress the importance of duty and
following. She doesn't like it that much, but
Helm does. Byron returns later to give you 20,000
experience.
Cortirso - You were instantly promoted over this gentleman in
the church, and he demands satisfaction (a duel).
Accept his challenge and kill him. Byron then gives
you 20,000 experience for following Helm.

You are then given the task of protecting the Temple of
Lathander from an attack of Talos. Also you must prevent the
Lathandites from gaining revenge on Talos after the attack.
Head over to the Temple of Lathander and prevent the assault
from going through. Then talk to Lara and talk her out of
assassinating Ada. (2,1) Return to Byron to get 1000 gold and
35,000 experience.

Talos: (best choices)

Glinden - Wife is unfaithful. Tell him to murder his wife AND
her lover, then when the Inspector shows up turn
Glinden in for a reward. You get 200 gold and
20,000 experience when Vilon returns.
Ti'Vael - Killed a man. Tell him to kill all the witnesses to
his crime. Then when he returns to you, kill him.
Then take his head to the government district and
give it to the inspector. Return to the temple.
When Vilon returns you get 500 gold and 20,000 exp.
Rania - Crisis of faith. Kill her for her lack of faith
(oh, and keep her head around).
Cortirso - You were instantly promoted over this gentleman in
the church, and he demands satisfaction (a duel).
Now take Rania's head to the Inspector and frame
Cortirso for the murder. Vilon will give you 30,000
experience for this clever action.

Now you are told to go assassinate Dawnmaster Kreel of the
Lathander temple. Go do so, and you have to attack every
follower of Lathander on your way there. Return to get your
reward of 35,000 experience and 2000 gold.

Paladin --} Order of the Radiant Heart

Talk to Lord Jierdan in the Copper Coronet (Slums) to get this
ball rolling. Finish the quest and return to Garren, who now
offers to help you enter the Order of the Radiant Heart. Your
Paladin special abilities will also be increased. Do NOT kill
Firkraag until you are asked to.

Note: Although it says that your abilities are increased,
nothing appears to happen.

Go to the Radiant Heart and talk to Prelate Wesselan in the top
left side room. Agree to what he says, then go talk to William
Reirrac. You are given a small room in the Order and started
out doing quests:

Event 1: Go to Umar Hills and rescue Knights from an attack.
When you arrive at the Umar Hills, a runner
immediately takes you to the site of the battle.
There are Orgs, Ogre Mages and Ettins around. Kill
them and try to keep the other Knights alive. Return
to Reirrac to get your reward: 10,000 exp.

Event 2: Reirrac now wants you to go back to Umar Hills to meet
a Baron in the Inn. This Baron wants you to remove
some Squatters from his land. Talk to Brunson, Pardo
and Moreno outside of the Inn before going inside and
speaking with the Baron. When speaking with the Baron
tell him everything you have learned from outside, and
Lanka will turn against him. A fight breaks out, kill
the Baron. Him and his goons range in experience from
3400 to 8000 and have some very minor treasures. Go
outside and the farmers will thank you. Return to the
Radiant Heart. Tell Reirrac what occurred to get
25,500 experience. (If you didn't talk to the farmers
and help the Baron remove them then you get a mere
10,000 experience, if you DID talk to the farmers but
removed them anyway you get 15,000 exp)

Event 3: The Morningales are being slaughtered for opposing the
slave trade. Only one member of this family has
survived, Tyrianna. Head out to the Docks district.
Enter the house just to the right of the Temple of
Oghma. Once inside you get to meet the "pleasant"
Tyrianna. Soon you will be attacked by assassins,
which can be easily dispatched. Then Tyrianna's
godfather, Hurgis arrives. There are two possibilities
here, 1) he may be an evil assassin, or 2) he has
no proof of his identity, but doesn't detect as evil.
So, cast Detect Evil to see which he is. If he
detects as evil he is an assassin that must be killed,
otherwise hand her over to him and return to the
Order. Talk to Reirrac to get a reward: Pride of the
Legion +2 (Plate Mail with AC of -1) and a Large
Shield +2. If you had "Fallen" then your Paladin
abilities will be regained.

Event 4: The final event is to retrieve the Avenger from the
Red Dragon Firkraag. Return to the dragon's lair and
go up to the dragon. Make your battle preparations.
Now pause it, click on the dragon as though you were
going to talk to it, then switch over and have
everyone attack it instead. If it works right, he'll
wait for you to talk to it, while you are busy
pummeling him!

Firkraag - 64,000 exp
Red Dragon Scales
Holy Avenger +5
Cloak of the Shield
1500 gold
Spells - Invisible Stalker (Mage)

Return to Reirrac to get some experience (35,000).
Take the Scales to the Docks area and have Cromwell
make it into the Red Scale Armor. (AC of -1)

Thief --} Shadow Thieves Guild (at the Docks)

Go over to the Shadow Thieves Guild at the Docks (they'll let
you in since you know Gaelan). Go to the back of the Guild, and
up the stairs. (or you could just go in the side door) Talk to
Renal Bloodscalp and finish up his quests. At the end of which,
Renal gives you control of Mae'Var's former guild as well as
10,500 gold to get it up and running. When he says he wants a
profit out of you, he means it! Everyone in your party also
gets 45,500 experience.

Go to your new Thieves Guild. You now have a new guard outside,
Brannel (whom you can chastise if you feel like it). Go inside,
and then open the top door to talk to Jariel. Jariel explains
the workings of your guild, that you direct your thieves
activities (high risk or low risk), bail them out of jail, etc.

At the beginning the thieves are at the Low Risk level, just
covering the quota. You are also offered the chance to change
your 5 thieving groups level of risks (one option at a time).
The more risk involved, the more money you can collect. Once
that is done, come back in 5 days. Collect your money from
Jariel, and possibly bail someone out of a jam. Then wait for
Joster to arrive and pay him your dues. (You will receive a
message above your head saying that he has arrived. When you
get that he appears next to Jariel)

Thieving Probabilities: (based on what you assign them in
conversation with Jariel)

Gold Gained
% success % jailed Hz: Gh: Kr: Ma: Va:

Thread: (2,1,2): 90% 10% 200 200 250 100 150
Thread: (2,1,1): 80% 20% 400 300 500 250 300
Thread: (2,2,2): 80% 20% 400 300 500 250 300
Thread: (1,1,2): 80% 20% 400 300 500 250 300
Thread: (1,1,1): 65% 35% 600 500 750 500 500
Thread: (1,2,2): 65% 35% 600 500 750 500 500
Thread: (2,2,1): 65% 35% 600 500 750 500 500
Thread: (1,2,1): 50% 50% 900 750 1000 750 800

Cost to bail out: ................ 100 200 50 250 300

Quotas: 1: 500 gold
2: 500 gold
3: 1000 gold
4: 1000 gold
5: 350 gold

Every time after is random:

50% - 500 gold
20% - 900
20% - 300
10% - 1000

If you fail to pay your Quota, then you lose your Thieves Guild.
To max out your returns, have all your first three thieves go
for the highest risk (1,2,1). If you want to see some more
Money Charts to support this, check out the Appendix.

Beyond that there are also events to deal with:

Event 1 - Talk to Lathan (the other thief by Jariel) and he
mentions that he is your "eyes and ears". He has
nothing to report, but soon another thief, named Ama,
appears. She wants you to help take out a government
official. Simply meet her any night after this in
Waukeen's Promenade. If you saved Kamuzu from the
cells that Mae'Var kept, then he will warn you NOT to
trust her. Gee, someone betraying you? Haven't seen
THAT before!

Anyway, at night, wander over to Waukeen's Promenade.
She'll appear and ask that you put your weapons away,
supposedly to not scare someone. Yeah, her. Soon,
you will be attacked by 6 assassins. They have some
minor treasures.

Event 2 - Talk to Lathan again, and tell him to never let such
things happen again. Then he has a bit of a problem,
a pickpocket is keeping profits from you. The
pickpockets know who is stealing but won't tell you.
You have four options here: Kill them all, kill one
of them (your choice), dock their pay or let their
supervisor, Kretor, fix it. It takes 5 days to get
results. (The thief is Darronal Gwin II)

If you dock their pay, the thieves will "fix" this
problem on their own, by killing the thief.

If you choose to do nothing or kill all the thieves,
Kretor will quit and you lose one of your thieving
divisions. This will make getting your quota that
much harder.

If you kill the wrong thief, then Kretor will quit.

If you choose to kill Darronal Gwin then the profit
skimming ends.

And that is that for the Thieves Guild.

Ranger --} Umar Hills Quest (start at Government District)

Talk to Delon in the Government District (near the statue) to
get the ball rolling on this one, then go to Umar Hills and
complete the quests there to gain control of the Ranger Cabin.
When you beat the Shade Lord talk to Minister Lloid and he'll
give you the cabin.

Note: Do NOT give the kids in Imnesvale beer or swords, or
you could get kicked out of your stronghold!

Search the cabin again to find new magical items, some gold and
a scroll from the townspeople. If you fail to make it back
after you are told of an event here, they will board up your
cabin and you won't be the Ranger Protector anymore.

Event 1: After three days you can find Mairyn in your cabin.
Mairyn is a spirit of the forest and needs your help.
Humans are tearing down her forest in the Temple Ruins
area. I found the "humans" in the south center of the
area. Talk to Lord Igen Tomblethen. Then search to
the east of him (x 3875 y 2315) to find a mithril
medallion and a note from his ancestor. Give him the
medallion and don't accept a reward of gold to get
10,000 exp. Return to your cabin, talk to Mairyn
again to get another 21,500 experience.

Event 2: Three days later Delon comes up to you again and asks
you to come back to Imnesvale to deal with some Orcs.
You have three days from the time you get the message
to get back, else they strip you of your cabin. Talk
to Minister Lloid who will apprise you on the
situation. Head out to the cave (x 1600 y 1300). At
the outside of the cave you will find Orogs. Go
into the cave. Talk to Madulf inside to get 21,750
experience. Talk to Minister Lloid again to get
another 25,000 exp. (this works out a little
differently if you killed Madulf before, of course,
you only get 20,000 exp when talking to Lloid)

Event 3: About 5 days later Delon comes to you and asks you to
return. It seems that the Umar Witch has returned.
Go talk to Minister Lloid again. Now go to the Temple
Ruins again. Before you enter the ruins, Mairyn
appears and asks the same thing. Enter. There are
many undead in here, as well as a Glabrezu (demon).
You will find Umar at the Crystal (x 760 y 1250).
Talk to her, but be ready for a fight. Turns out she
is just some minor mageling. Kill her and return to
the surface. Mairyn will then reward you with a
Moon Dog figurine, Reputation +1 and 26,750 exp. If
you were a Fallen Ranger this will also restore your
Rangerhood. Minister Lloid offers no reward this
time.

Moon Dog -- Cerebus

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 17 9 9 9 9
THAC0 HP AC Attacks Weapon
11 74 0 1 3d4 (strikes as +1)
Saves: Death - 6, Wand - 8, Polymorph - 7,
Breath - 7, Spells - 9
Resistances: All Physical Damage - 25%
Magic - 25%
Immunities: Charm, Fear, Poison,
Normal Weapons
Special Abilities: Healing Lick 3
Moon Dog Howl 1
Moon Dog Sight (True Sight) 1
Improved Invisibility 1
Mirror Image 1

And that is that.

Wizard --} The Planar Sphere

Talk to the Cowled Wizard in the main government building and
agree to track Valygar. Complete this quest as normal (oh, and
keep the Solamnic Knights alive). Once the Sphere quest is
completely finished, go back inside and talk to the Knights.
They want you to find them their way home (naturally), although
the Planar Sphere is no longer capable of such an action. Then
the wizard Teos appears with an offer. He proposes an alliance
between you and the Cowled Wizards. Accept. Then ask for his
help in returning the Knights to their home and he refers you to
Ribald at the Adventurer's Mart.

Event 1: Return the Solamnic Knights to their home. Go to the
adventurer's mart and talk to Ribald there. For the
price of 9000 gold he will send a mage out to your
Sphere tomorrow. Exactly 24 hours later, the mage
teleports herself directly into the room where the
Knights are. Talk with her and send the Knights home.
You get 45,000 exp and a Golden Girdle as reward.

Trick: There is a way to get experience for this one
twice. After talking to her once, before she
is completely teleported away, simply talk to
her again. As many times as you can talk to
her you get experience and a Girdle. (I
managed three times before she vanished)

Alternatively you can talk to Prelate Wessalan at the
Radiant Heart and ask him to let the Knights live
there. Tell the knights and you get 45,000 exp.
(Therefore the Mage is better, not only do you get a
Girdle, but there's a chance for multiple experience!)

Training Apprentices:

16 hours after getting the Sphere (give or take), Teos
will appear in the Sphere with three apprentices for
you to train, Morul, Larz and Nara. Teos leaves but
promises to return several times over the next few
weeks.

You now have to decide what to have your Apprentices
make:
cost time to complete

Wand of the Apprenti -- 1000 gold -- 4 days
Dagger of {yourname} -- 250 gold -- 4 days
Ring of Protection -- 2000 gold -- 4 to 5 days

There is a random chance that they will fail to make
whatever they are working on, no matter how easy.
When they make the Ring of Protection, Larz gets
vaporized (whether they succeed in making the ring or
not).

Note: You can tell if they are going to succeed in
their tasks, if when they tell you how long it
will take they say it will take a "few days".
If they say "few days" then they will succeed,
if they say "4 days" then they will fail. (this
works for the final choice as well)

Next they want to know which spell to transcribe:

Mislead -- 250 gold -- 4 days
Abi Dalzim's ... -- 1000 gold -- 4 to 5 days
Meteor Swarm -- 2500 gold -- 4 to 5 days

They will then give you a scroll of whichever spell
you assigned. If learning Meteor Swarm, Nara will be
exploded.

Finally there is one last artifact they want to try:

Robe of the Apprenti -- 250 gold -- 4 days
Ring of Wizardry -- 3000 gold -- 4 days
Staff of Power -- 10000 gold -- 4 days
Nothing (the only way they'll all live to graduate)

Whether these objects are completed depends on how
many Apprenti have survived: the more, the better the
odds. But still whether the objects are completed is
random. The Robe of the Apprenti kills Larz.
The Ring of Wizardry requires that all Apprenti be
alive, and it will kill Nara and Larz to make it.
The Staff of Power requires all Apprenti to be alive
to make. (else it results in a bug while creating)
Then it kills all three Apprenti, but you MAY get the
Staff! (random chance and all) A day after killing
them all, Teos returns to chide you (though he doesn't
seem to care).

If any of your Apprenti survived your training, then
Teos will hold the Graduation Ceremony in the Sphere,
about 5 minutes after appearing.

If all survived, then Graduation happens, but is quite
a bit more heartwarming. Funny too. For your trouble
you get 50,000 exp. (you only get Exp if you kept them
all alive, if only 2 survive you get nothing, if 1
survive you get nothing)

If Morul survives, he will return again after you
complete the rest of the Stronghold as an Apprentice
and every week he will make you potions. I hear that
he won't appear if you have fought Cowled Wizards (the
ones who appear in the streets when you cast a spell).

Event 3 - Two days later a messenger tells you to return to the
Sphere (therefore if you are IN the sphere after two
days, you'll need to leave it). Return to the
Sphere. Teos appears, but he seems to be as confused
about this as you are.

Soon it becomes clear that you have both been set up
for an ambush as the messenger reappears with a lot
of backup. Teos manages to hide during the battle,
and reappears when you have won. This attack was
precipitated by an anti-magic fanatic, Lord Argrim.
Teos wants you to take him out, not kill, but remove
him from existence with a Rune that he gives you. You
can find Argrim in the Inn at the City Gates,
upstairs. Have someone use the Rune on him (put it in
the Quick Item slot), then kill his guards.

Return to the Sphere and talk to Teos. Whether you
killed Argrim or Mazed him makes no difference, you
get 7500 experience either way. Then he tells you
what happened to Imoen.

After that, Morul reappears and offers to join you
as an apprentice again. He makes potions every week.
There are four random sets of potions that he can give
you, each has 5 potions in it:

Set One: Set Two:
2 Potions of Genius Empty Potion Bottle
Oil of Speed Potion of Firebreath
Elixir of Health Potion of Agility
Potion of Fire Resistance Potion of Defense
Potion of Cold Resist

Set Three: Set Four:
Potion of Extra Healing Potion of Genius
*Potion of Invulnerability Potion of Regeneration
Potion of Insight Potion of Stone Form
Potion of Perception Potion/Frost Giant STR
Potion of Master Thievery Potion/Invulnerability

* Set Three's Potion of Invulnerability is Cursed

Note: If you killed Agrim in the final Event, instead
of imprisoning him, then Morul will NOT appear.
(Henning Roes)

And that is that for the Mage Stronghold.

Bard --} Theatre beneath Five Flagons

Go to the Bridge District and into the Five Flagons. There you
will find a Theatre in the basement. Watch the horrible show
and listen to Raelis Shai's plea for help. Complete this quest
and you will get control of the theatre.

Once you are back in the theatre, the owner of the Five Flagons,
Samuel Thunderburp asks what is going on. You can tell him that
you were given the Deed to the Theatre by Raelis before she left
for Sigil. He also sends Higgold the famous director to talk to
you. He tells you to bring money in half a week.

Whenever you are needed, Higgold sends a boy out to bring you
back in. Each event is about 4 to 6 days apart. Do NOT delay
in getting there once the messenger talks to you, else the play
quality will suffer. You get THREE DAYS from the time you are
given the message until the play suffers from your absence. The
Play Quality determines how well the play does in the end, and
how much money you will earn from it later.

To determine your Play Quality, talk to the actors in the back.
The more confidant they sound, the better the play. They have
three separate comments: one is really depressed, the other is
unsure of themselves and the last they are super happy about
life.

Here are the events:

Event 1: Choose who to star: Naive Jenna or Actress Iltheia.
Sure, Jenna might be the sympathetic favorite, but
Iltheia will net you a better play in the end.
How much money to invest: the minimum is 1000gp, but
you can spend up to 10,000 gp. Naturally the more
you spend the better.

Event 2: Solve the jealousy between Jenna and Iltheia. If
Iltheia is playing the small role and you put her in
the larger one you improve the quality of the play and
get 6750 exp. Force Iltheia to accept her small role
for 15,750 exp and improve the Play Quality. Expand
her role for a mere 6750 exp, however the Play Quality
will suffer. If Jenna is in the small role and you
put her in the larger one, you get 6750 experience
but hurt the quality of the play. Letting them solve
things on their own cuts the quality and nets you no
experience. If Iltheia is in the lead, don't threaten
her or the play quality will dip. Compliment her for
11,500 experience. Then you have to give her 500 gp,
but it further improves the Play.

Event 3: Zeran is improvising. Allow him to rewrite the play
for 15,750 exp and improve the Quality of the Play a
lot. Allow him to keep improvising for 11,500 exp and
improve the quality of the play slightly. Stop his
improvisation and you get NO experience and the Play
Quality slips a little.

Event 4: Everyone is rewriting their characters. Have faith in
Zeran's changes, with a charisma of 17 or better and
the quality of the play improves. Stop all
changes for 11,500 exp. Stop the changes and pay them
500 gp as a bonus gets you 11,500 exp as well, this
also improves the quality of the Play. Threaten to
"let them walk out" and you get no exp and the Quality
of the Play drops. You can also take control of the
rewrites yourself, and if your Charisma is 17 or
better then you will also improve the quality of the
play and get 11,500 exp.

Event 5: The curse? Lots of weird things are going on, and a
Priest offers to cleanse the theatre for 1000 gp.
Give him the gold and get 11,500 exp and improve the
play quality. If you have a high charisma you can get
away with giving her 500 gp for 11,500 exp, but no
change in Play Quality. If you can't afford to pay
and have a high charisma you can give her nothing and
still improve the Play Quality. If you send her
packing, or have a low charisma you will hurt the play
quality quite a bit.

Event 6: Problems with the music. Your musician has vanished.
Hiring Balmitance (the famous musician) has a great
effect on the Play Quality and nets you 15,500 exp at
a cost of only 500 gold. Making Marcus write the
score hurts the Play Quality quite a bit. If your
Intelligence is 15 or less then letting Marcus play
while you write really hurts the play and gets you no
experience. If your INT is 16 or 17 you get 6750 exp
and a slight improvement to Quality. At 18 INT
letting Marcus play the Harp while you rewrite the
music for 11,500 exp. 19 or better INT gets you the
best experience 15,500 and a better improvement to
play quality (thought not so good as hiring the famous
musician!).

30 or so days later...

Event 7: Barbarians have invaded the Theatre. You meet Higgold
on the main level of the Five Flagons this time and
he begs for you to get rid of the barbarians who have
taken control. Go downstairs, clean out the five
goons here (including one mage) and get 15,500 exp.

Event 8: A day later you can watch the dress rehearsal. (You
could take notes on what is being said... it's kinda
important! Or you could just continue using this FAQ)

Event 9: Within three days (rather than the week you were
promised) you are summoned again. And again he is on
the main floor. Seems a major player at the City
Council is going to attend and Zeran is ill. You
must take up the role of the wizard (whether you are
male or female it doesn't matter).

The Play: Since you are now in the role of the wizard, that
means you have LINES to perform. Weren't paying
attention in the dress rehearsal? Your lines are:

2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1

The City Council person speaks, and depending on how
YOU personally did you get experience:

49,500 experience (near flawless)
35,500 exp (several mistakes)
19,500 exp (many mistakes)

If you get the "near flawless", you also are given
a gift, the Aslaer's Harp.

Next the overall quality of the play is judged:

50,000 experience (near perfection)
29,500 experience (not quite perfect)
19,500 experience (not even close to perfect)

Finally Higgold offers to buy the theatre off of you
for 10,000 gold. (If you got the "near perfection"
score, anyway) This is totally up to you.

How much money the Theatre generates during a week
depends entirely upon how much you invested at the
start and the quality of the play. The more you
invest, the better the return. If you invested the
maximum of 10,000 and had a phenomenal play, the max
amount per week is 1800 gp/week. Every week past the
first, the gold/week drops by 100 gold until it hits
500 gold/week where it will remain.

And that is that for the Bard's Theatre.

Druid --} Druid Grove (start at City Gate)

Talk to the man at the city gate to learn of the problems at
Trademeet. Complete that quest to gain access to the Druid
Grove. Your Druid MUST be at least level 14 to take control of
the Grove (but it isn't necessary to clear the Trademeet quest).
At the normal completion of clearing the grove you get the
Staff of Thunder and Lighting.

Note: If you complete the Druid Grove Quest, but are lower
than level 14 you can't take control of the Grove.
However, once you hit level 14 a Druid will arrive to
tell you to go to the Grove.

Challenge the Druid to a duel to assume control of the Grove.
For beating the Druid you get 10,000 exp. For becoming the
Great Druid you get another 20,000 exp and 10,000 gold as well
as a Cleric's Staff +3 and a Ring of Protection +2.

Event 1: Within 8 hours the Spirit of the Grove will come to
you and ask if you accept your responsibilities. By
all means, accept! She then challenges you to take
out the new leader of the Trolls, Nilthiri. To help
you with this task she gives you a club, The Root of
the Problem, which has special powers vs. unnatural
creatures (like trolls). If you didn't go by there
earlier, the Troll Mound is almost exactly south of
the Druid Grove. (though you have to go around to get
there)

Don't bother with going inside the Mound. Make sure
you have some method of killing Trolls, Fire or Acid.
(arrows, spells, weapons that do fire or acid
damage) From the Mound go right until you find
Nilthiri, the Troll Shaman. Kill Nilthiri and her
trolls (10,000 exp for Nil.) and the Spirit will
return and say "good job." (she also gives everyone
in your party 18,500 Quest Experience points) That's
it for now. (oddly, after this I went back to the
Grove and talked to the Challenge Master again, and he
gave me the reward for becoming the Great Druid again!
Very odd, but nice!)

Event 2: About 9 days later (maybe 10) sleep within the Grove
again and the Spirit will ask you to do another task.
This time the descendent of a great druid is in
danger, the child Loren. You must go to Trademeet to
protect this child. Loren is found outside of the
city walls, just to the right of the Yellow Tent.
Ask the child about the voices he hears, and then tell
him to fight the voices so that you can face them.
(3,1,1,1,1) Loren falls unconscious and Chaos
appears. Chaos turns into an odd phased-Beholder like
creature and attacks. (12,000 exp) When it is dead,
the Spirit returns and rewards you with a Golden Lion
Figurine (summons a Lion for 5 min, just like the Moon
Dog figurine). Also every character is given 20,500
Quest Experience points.

Golden Lion Figurine -- Joolon

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 9 9 9 9 9
THAC0 HP AC Attacks Weapon
15 45 6 3 1d12 (strikes as +1)
Saves: Death - 13, Wand - 15, Polymorph - 14,
Breath - 16, Spells - 16
Resistances: --
Immunities: Charm, Fear, Poison,
Normal Weapons
Special Abilities: Cloak of Fear - 1
Blur - 1

Although the Spirit mentions a ceremony of Ascendancy (for
Archdruids), that appears to be all you can do in the Druid
Grove.

Vash (on the GameFAQs Message Board) found a way to get two Strongholds:

I took a break from my main game to experiment with the much heralded
dualled Kensai/Mage. Very powerful, and I can only imagine how powerful
he'd be with his defenses after Tenser's Transformation kicks in.

Anyway, part of the experimenting was to see if he can get a stronghold for
each class and I found he can. He cleared out the de'Arnise keep first with
Nalia in the group, but initially refused to take over (I believe the
response used was something along the lines of ''I don't think I'm the
right person for this'').

Note: You could also simply not talk to her after clearing out the
Stronghold. (Robert Pay)

Then he went and cleared the Planar Sphere immediately after. At the end,
he was granted the Sphere by Lavok and it became the character's
stronghold. I found that if I accepted the keep from Nalia first, Lavok did
not grant the Sphere.

Then, I went back to the de'Arnise keep and told Nalia I would agree to her
proposition to lend his name to the keep and the keep became his stronghold
as well.

So in the end, I ended up with two strongholds.

Rabbit on the Shadowkeeper Message board has a cheating way to get all
Strongholds:

To get all 8 strongholds you must do the following:
1. When talking to the person who gives the stronghold quest, and when
talking to the person who ends the quest, use Shadow Keeper to give
yourself the appropriate class.
2. After getting each stronghold, you must set the stronghold flag back
to zero by typing the following into the debug console:

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("PlayerHasStronghold","GLOBAL",0)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X2. } } } } The Limited Wish Adventure
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

This quest can be done whenever you feel like it, in either chapters 2, 3
or 6. You must have the Mercenaries of Riatavin still alive in Delosar's
Inn. Then cast Limited Wish, ask for a One-Time wish and select the
Adventure like you've never had before (it does require 10 or better WIS
to cast). A scroll appears at your feet.

Walkthrough:
------------

- THE SCROLL

Reading the scroll reveals several things about this quest: One, it is
about a gong, two, you should talk to the mercenaries of Riatavin at the
Delosar's Inn (Bridge) and three, there is someone named Captain Dennis
who should have the Gong.

Head out to the Bridge District and go near the Delosar's Inn. (x 1830
y 2880) Just outside you will meet with a man named Vittorio who asks
for your help in collecting money off of Dennis, who is inside. Agree to
help him and follow him inside.

- DENNIS

Captain Dennis and Vittorio are having a shouting match when you enter.
Listen to what they say. Seems that Vittorio stole and sold Dennis'
mother's gong in order to buy ale. That sounds bad. Agree to help
Vittorio find the gong. He says that he sold it to one Roger the Fence,
who you will find in the sewers beneath the Temple District.

- ROGER THE FENCE

Go to the Temple District and enter the sewers. You will find Roger in
the southern part of the sewers (x 1680 y 2300). Ask for a Gong and
say that you want Vittorio's gong. He doesn't have it, and won't tell
you where it is until you take care of a small problem he has. He wants
you to kill a local Sea Troll before he'll tell you anything. This troll
can be found by going left from Roger (x 400 y 2366). When it is good
and dead, return to Roger. Aside from whatever rewards you get for
killing the Troll (see the Sewers section above) he will also tell you
that he sold the gong to a Troll Shaman in the Troll Mound out by
Trademeet (you will probably have to talk to him again to get him to
reveal that).

Head out of the city and over to the Druid Grove (which may require
going through Trademeet).

- THE TROLL SHAMAN

At the Druid Grove, head left to find the Troll Mound (x 1330 y 2210).
Grae, the shaman, will be just outside of the mound. When asked about
the Gong she attacks you instead of giving it to you. When it gets close
to being defeated it tells you where the Gong is in exchange for its
life. (you can always kill it anyway) She says that she sold it to an
Ogre Mage in a tower to the northeast of here.

- OGRE MAGE

Wander north, then east, across the bridge to find the big house. We
don't want to enter the house, we want the tower that is south of it.
(x 4840 y 1270) (There is a little path leading southwards just past the
bridge) Enter the tower. This Ogre Mage is quite the peaceable
sort and is quite willing to trade the Gong for a Wand of Frost. If you
have a Wand of Frost, then you can trade for the gong. (12,250 exp)
Oh and don't mind the smell. Also in here you can find:

Scimitar +2: Belm (+1 attack per round)

Tip: Belm makes a great off-hand weapon, especially for Thieves (and
other characters who don't normally get multiple attacks).

Return to the Bridge District and give the gong back to Vittorio.
Everyone is happy and you get your reward:

1500 gold
16,500 experience for each character
Boomerang Dagger +2

===============================================================================
{ { { { Throne of Bhaal Walkthrough } } } }
===============================================================================

Note: Throughout the game, Imoen will be developing powers like you did in
the original Baldur's Gate. These are small things, like Cure Light
Wounds, but it is interesting to note.

Bugs Note: Due to a wide number of bugs in the game, it is HIGHLY
recommended that you NOT use the Quick Save feature, and simply
create new save slots as you go (from the options menu).

TAB Note: Remember to use your new TAB function. It will highlight all
doors, containers and items around. Very helpful.

Duplication Bug: I mention this here, because it can be very interesting.
Now, when you are in battle, then flee to another area,
not only will the enemies follow you (which they did in
BG2:SoA), but now the original enemies will remain in the
old area. Result? Two enemies of the same kind!
Therefore if you want to kill the City Gates Lich over and
over and over... you can. Or if you want to get 2
Celestial Furies, you can do that too. Just draw the
enemies to you, flee to the previous area and wait for them
to join you.

This was removed in the patch.

I wrote this using my Barbarian. Luckily for me (I'll explain why) I had
kept a save at the VERY end of the game (just before you open up hell and
fight the final battle). So I just loaded this up, beat SoA and took that
into the expansion. If you simply start an expansion game, or even import
a game into the expansion YOU WON'T GET ALL THE BONUSES from the end of the
game. Therefore I suggest you do what I did. You should have a "Final Save"
created when you beat the game the first time. (Although your alignment might
be altered depending on how you beat the first game)

If you start an Expansion Only game you begin down in section 2. The Grove of
the Ancients.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. } } } } Watcher's Keep (AR 3000)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: Most of the good items found in Throne of Bhaal are located right here
in the Watcher's Keep. (and many can be made even better by your
abyssal butler, Cespenar)

Also, if you start the expansion right away, you'll be taken to the
next section, the Forest. Watcher's Keep is listed first since it
can be accessed from the regular game as well.

Walkthrough:
------------

- A MYSTERIOUS KEEP

Go up and talk to "Brother" Ordren, who explains the whole sticky
situation to you. Helm has sealed some great and powerful evil in the
Watcher's Keep, that is gradually getting free. It is your job to enter
the Keep and prevent the Evil from getting out. Oh, and they tell you
specifically NOT to kill it, as Helm has forbidden it. Agree to help
them and they'll take you to the top (Level 1). They give you what
you will need, and bid you good luck.

Talk to Brother Pol to get the Holy Symbol and the Scroll. These items
are needed. When you reach the evil, you are to perform a ritual to
deal with it. You don't kill it.

At this point, you can talk to them again and ask questions, or talk to
the Sister to buy items and so forth.

Note: Two of the items that she sells, Firetooth +4 and the Short
Sword of the Mask are items that can be upgraded by your
abyssal servant Cespenar (if you haven't gotten your Pocket
Plane, the Abyssal Fortress, then you won't know what I'm
talking about).

When you're ready, enter the Keep.

- LEVEL ONE (AR 3001)

The difficulty of the keep depends on several things, your preset
difficulty level, the number of people in your party, your level, and
your experience. The puzzles don't get any easier on the other
difficulty modes... if you're wondering.

The entrance to the next level is the Mirror Portal (x 1450 y 1150),
however there are quite a number of things that must be done first.

Note: There are many traps on this level, most are attached to the
various containers, although there are 2 traps on the ground.

Open the left door to find the ghost Archivist. (x 1925 y 1860) Talk to
him, but he is simply Cold. We'll have to remedy that. There are 4
containers in this room, 2 are trapped. Take whatever treasure you want,
but be sure to get the:

Paladin's Bracers (+10 HP, paladins only, upgradeable by Cespenar)

The next room had a Stone Golem in it. Not too tough. Open the next
door (x 1530 y 2010) and enter a library type room. There will be some
monsters here. The shelves on the right side have some Notes with Clues.
Also note Elminster's Ecologies (there's one in the next room as well),
which explain some of the properties of the new Monsters. Be sure to
check the shelf at (x 1330 y 1590) for the wonderful:

Golem Manual (creates Flesh Golems, upgradeable by Cespenar)

Also check the Treasure chest near the end of this room for more treasure
and another note. Open the next door (x 888 y 1574) and proceed.

Yes, that statue is watching you. There are 3 containers in here, and
the one at (x 625 y 1140) is trapped:

Case of Plenty +1 (unlimited +1 bolts, upgradeable by Cespenar)

You need to get the Bell at (x 450 y 1250).

The final container in this room, a trapped chest (x 775 y 1200)
contains:

Crimson Dart +3 (returns to owner)
History of the Imprisoned One (in case you're curious)
Potion of Superior Healing
Chainmail +2
more treasures...

Open the door to the right (x 840 y 1220) and go through. Depending on
your level, there will be all sorts of statues in this, the central
hall. Worry about it later, go up to the door on the left side (x 670
y 900).

Get the Candle in the chest by the fireplace (x 340 y 1050). There are
other minor treasures in here, and a fireplace. Go back.

Across the hall, enter the middle door (x 1620 y 865). This room has
several traps on the floor, so beware. Also, of the 4 containers in here
2 are trapped.

Get the Slippers from the left shelf (x 1550 y 750).

The trapped armoire (x 1840 y 600) has:

Quiver of Plenty +1 (unlimited +1 arrows, upgradeable by Cespenar)
Handwritten Note

The trapped alcove (x 1980 y 580) has:

Ammo Belt (actually a container that holds arrows, bolts, etc.)
Tinderbox (if only we had a fireplace... wait a second!)

Open the lower door and enter another library. Kill anything moving in
here (I got spiders). Search the shelf at (x 2240 y 920) to find:

Wardstone

The other shelf in here has a Potion of Superior Healing. Open the next
door and hit the almost-final room.

Search the Armoire (x 2775 y 1210) to find:

Wardstone
Potion of Superior Healing

The other container, a shelf, has the final Tattered Parchment, if you're
curious. Open the door to the left and hit the final room.

Search the armoire by the door (x 2610 y 1485) for:

Key
4 Potions Extra Healing
King's Tears

The table has a Handwritten Note. Go back to the large hallway.

Almost ready to do the ritual. Go back to the Fireplace room, and click
on the fireplace to light it (Tinderbox...). This summons the Archivist
who is now quite conversant. He'll tell you about the old Priest, and
a little about how to reach the next level.

Open up the large door on the top of the right side (x 1375 y 730).
Enter. This is the burial place of the High Priest, complete with
Guardian Golems. The alcove over to the left (x 1040 y 430) has the
final Handwritten Note. When you're ready, click the Sarcophagus to
open it. The golems come alive, and attack you. They're each worth
13,000 experience. Open the Sarcophagus.

This causes the resident of the tomb to arrive and chide you for waking
him up. He notices that you have his slippers, and asks for them. Give
them up. This is worth 20,000 quest experience, and he leaves you alone
to your graverobbing. Click the Sarcophagus one last time to get the
Mental Note. This is worth 8,000 quest experience.

Note: If the guardians DON'T come alive, you can always force-attack
them later.

Back to the main hallway. Go up to the altar at the top of the room,
open it and place the Bell and Candle in it. When that is done, the
statues come alive and attack you. Destroy them. When the statues that
came alive are dead, the giant statue talks to you and asks for the
ritual:

Ring the Bell
Ring the Bell
Light the Candle
Open the Book (only works if you opened the Sarcophagus)
Ring the Bell

That completes the ritual, and opens the Mirrored Portal to the next
level. This is worth 25,000 quest experience. At this point, the rest
of the statues came alive and attacked me. This was a much more
difficult battle, and you should definitely take care of the mages first.
Also they had some interesting equipment:

Usuno's Blade +4 (scimitar)
Foebane +3 (Bastard Sword, upgradeable by Cespenar)

Whenever you are ready, go on down. This requires that you got the Vigil
Stone from Pol. If you don't have it, exit and talk to Pol to get it.

Note: If you want to rest (and this would be a good time), go to the
Protected Room in the right corner.

- LEVEL TWO (AR 3016)

As you appear, a Chromatic Demon talks to you. He is the only thing that
can get you to the next level, but he won't do that until you do a little
something for him. He has been trapped in this place for a thousand
years and it isn't where he thought his life was heading. Naturally he
wants your help in getting out. Sounds fair. He needs you to get him
out of his cage. Agree to it. You need to find the Four Scepters and
place them in the slots around his cage. Only then will he allow you
entrance to the next level.

Note: If you want to go back, use the Portal to the Left.

Also, beware of Traps! They're everywhere.

Enter the room to the southwest (x 1670 y 1850). Careful in here, there
are many traps on the floor and containers. Detrap the room. Time to
search for treasure, and clues.

The top right shelf (x 1600 y 2130) has a Handwritten Note.

The top left shelf (x 1325 y 1925) has:

Wand of Spell Striking
Star Sapphire

The small shelf (x 1000 y 2110) has some good stuff:

Right Horn (used by Cespenar)
Ice Library Note (a Clue!)

Read the Ice Library Note to learn how to clear out the Fire room.
Essentially you need to deal with the Fire Elementals first, but you
can't just kill them or they'd respawn, they must be lured into the Ice
Room and frozen there forever.

There are other minor treasures in here as well.

Back to the center room, now take the upper left (northwest) door (x 1700
y 1350). There are some Fire Giants in here that need killing. This
place also has many traps to be dealt with. Enter the room. You'll find
an imp in the upper passage here. He'll tell you that the Fan is the
key to everything before leaving. Time to search the room.

You'll find a Handwritten note on a table (x 1130 y 860).

The top of the pillar (x 1260 y 760) has:

Wand of Cursing
5 Potions of Superior Healing
more treasures...

Search the small shelf (x 1370 y 870) to find:

Fire Library Note (another Clue!)

There are other minor treasures in here. On to the next room (x 2420
y 1350).

This room is filled with various types of Golems. It is again trapped
quite thoroughly.

The Handwritten Note is at (x 3210 y 1000).

The Air Library Note is at (x 3000 y 900). This note mentions how you
might clear out the poison room, and the usefulness of lightning when
dealing with the new slimes found therein.

Nothing much else here, go down to the final room (x 2425 y 1840). Here
you must deal with some Mutated Spiders.

Search the shelf to the right (x 2900 y 1900) to find:

Key
other treasures

Search the far right shelf (x 3225 y 2120) to find:

Slime Library Note (the last Clue!)
5 Potions of Extra Healing

Read the final note to learn that the demon's Air form is weak against
poison and acid. Also you'll learn how to set the fan to blow poison
from the Slime Room into the Air room to kill weaken the creatures there.

We have everything we need, time to make the most of it.

- LEVEL TWO, GAINING THE FOUR SCEPTERS

To get to the Fan Room, go into the Red Room (upper left), and up to the
door (x 1800 y 675) where the Imp was. Go in and turn the fan. This
will get you attacked by several Air Elementals. Kill them to get the:

Air Scepter

Go up to the fan and click it again to get more air going. This allows
you to open the door to the right, into the Slime Library. From there
continue going down-right and open the next door into the Slime Room.
This room is filled with noxious vapors, and lots of slime/poison related
monsters. Quickly open the bottom door in this room to clear it of all
its poison. Kill the snake to get:

Slime Scepter

Also, search the pool of slime to get:

Flail Head (Poison, Cespenar can upgrade the Flail of Ages with this)

Note: Getting too close to any of the "pools" results in damage taken.
In the slime room you get Acid Damage, for instance.

Head down to the next, icier door (x 2350 y 2500) and open it. Now,
run back to the Fan Room, click the Fan control once to reset it, and
click it again to shoot the poison from the poison room into the Ice
Room. Sweet.

Go back to the Ice Room and kill the monsters there. The poison didn't
bother me too much, but you could just stand at the edge of it and attack
from there. When the Ice Golem dies you get the:

Ice Scepter
Left Horn (used by Cespenar)

Note: To clear the room of poison, just click the Fan again. Also,
the Ice Room has a slowing effect.

I'd leave all of your party (save one) in the Ice Room.

Open the door to the left, go through the library and up to the next
door. Open that. Enter the room, avoid the giant. Wait for a Fire
Elemental to appear, then lead it back into the Ice Room, for your
waiting party to kill. Wait for the Elemental to FREEZE (there will even
be some text to this effect), then attack. The elemental shatters,
letting you know you've succeeded. Do this for 4 elementals (it doesn't
have to be all at once, or one at a time, just lure as many as you can).
Doing that gets you 22,000 experience.

When that is done, go up and kill the Fire Giant:

Fire Scepter
Helm of the Rock (+25% fire, ice, elec. res., upgradeable by Cespenar)
100 gold

You now have all 5 scepters. I'd rest, save, then go talk to the Demon.
Everyone gets 20,000 experience, and he, of course, attacks you. Who
saw that coming?

Chromatic Demon -5 AC 140 HP -5 THAC0 4 Attacks 95% weapon res.

Your weapons will damage him, but they just won't do much damage. As he
is damaged, he will switch forms. Just remember what each form is weak
against...

Red Demon } Ice
Ice Golem } Fire
Shambling Mound } Lightning
Air Elemental } Poison

If you're in ToB, this is an easy enough fight, buff-up beforehand,
keep the fighters in the front and use whirlwinds. Three or four fighter
types doing 10 hits/round at 4 damage a hit should knock it down fast.

Tip: After you have all 4 scepters, but before you free the Chromatic
Demon, close the lower door in the poison lab. Then turn off the
fan in the air lab so the poison lab is full of gas. Move all but
one of your party members out of the way (the fire library works
nicely). Then have your remaining character (preferably having
them hasted first) release the Chromatic Demon. Lure the
Chromatic Demon into the poison lab (via the air library), then
exit the poison lab into the air library, closing the door behind
you and trapping the Chromatic Demon in the poison lab. Then just
sit back and wait for the Chromatic Demon to die. It doesn't take
long. (Jeremy Hanson)

When he is dead...

55,000 experience
Circlet of Netheril (Cespenar can upgrade)
Portal Key
Ixil's Spike (+2 dagger, Cespenar can upgrade)

Whenever you're ready, enter the right portal to the Next Level.

- LEVEL THREE (AR 3003)

N E
\ / Ooh, Isometric!

/ \
W S

Our informer on this level is a crazy elf named Yakman. When you talk to
him he becomes convinced that you are some demonic illusion out to kill
him, causing him to run away. Follow him through the portal (x 1350
y 1100) and try talking to him again.

(AR 3011)

There is a pile of stuff (x 615 y 630) in the middle of the room:

Bard's Gloves (Cespenar can upgrade)

There is more treasure up in his tent (x 860 y 360, TRAPPED):

Madman's Journal (a Clue!)
Diamond
Long Sword (you may want to take this... seriously)
Scepter of Radiance (you definitely need to take this)
other treasures...

Once you're done looting, talk to Yakman. You need someone with 16 or
more Charisma, or an Elf to get him to trust that you aren't an
illusionary demon. Ask all the questions you can, about the Demons,
why they fight each other, the level, the way out, the rod and its
gems, etc. Next tell him he needs some sleep, to learn that he never
sleeps. Offer to heal him, and the conversation ends. (the character
who spoke to him MUST be a cleric for this offer to come up)

Cast Heal on him and he is back to normal... although you might prefer
the insane version (he's quite arrogant). This gets you 5,000 quest
experience points. With that he exits the Watcher's Keep to find out if
he can restore his old life.

Enter the top portal (x 380 y 350) to return to the previous area (the
other portal takes you back to the beginning).

Note: Resting anywhere in this maze will get you attacked by Succubuses
(er...), Glabrezu or other types of demons, which makes this a
great place to get experience, as they give between 6000 exp and
24,000 exp each. (Later you fight devils, but they're not as much
fun)

(AR 3003)

Head into the East Portal.

(AR 3008)

There will be various demons fighting amongst themselves here. They
mention the Blood War (see: Planescape: Torment). Kill the demons here.
(pretty easy to do since they're fighting each other)

Have someone of a lawful good alignment click on the Pillar to get: (evil
people get Horridly Wilted)

Purifier +4 (Bastard Sword, Upgradeable by Cespenar)

Go "east" again (x 1070 y 150).

(AR 3012)

Here you are confronted by a Tanar'ri. If you are evil, you can side
with it. It will want you to kill its enemy Ka'rashur. If you are Good
you will have no choice but to kill it. From its body, take the Scepter
Gem.

Note: When you return with the Heart of Ka'rashur he gives you the
mighty Thieves Hood (useless until Cespenar upgrades it). This is
the ONLY way to get this item, he won't have it on him if you
kill him.

There is a trapped alcove (x 650 y 320) with some treasure.

Head on down "south" to the portal at (x 880 y 720).

(AR 3004)

This is a "no magic" zone. Kill off the demons in the area. Also there
are traps on the ground where the 4 hallways meet the center room. You'll
have to pass one to fight the monsters.

Go "south" again (x 1350 y 1100).

(AR 3006)

Welcome to the Succubus area. Whee. They'll attempt to tempt you, but
don't bother with them. Of course, if you turn them down, they attack
you. Ah well, demons just can't be reasoned with, I guess.

Head through the south gate.

(AR 3013)

Here you'll find the Baatezu (the very same ones that you were asked to
kill by the Tanar'ri earlier). If you're evil you can side with them,
otherwise prepare for a fight.

Be sure to search the corpses for the second Scepter Gem.

There is a small container (TRAPPED, x 960 y 360) above. It has some
minor treasures.

Again, use the lower portal.

(AR 3010)

There are some Glabrezu lurking around here. Also, if you go back
through the portals you entered from, you'll get back to the beginning.
We want to take the "western" portal, so head down and left to (x 150
y 785).

(AR 3005)

We experienced a "no-magic" room earlier, now we have entered a
"wild-magic" room. Here, magic just doesn't work as you might expect,
much like the "wild surge" effect you get if you play as a Wild Mage.

There are some Tieflings in here, but they aren't important.

Here's a twist, re-enter the portal you just came from (the "north"
portal).

(AR 3007)

There's a Cambion in here, but you don't have to deal with him. If you
do fight him, he'll summon several demon knights to help out.

Again, like the last area, re-enter the portal you entered from (the
"north" portal).

(AR 3014)

Right out of the portal are some really deadly traps. Try to disarm them
before engaging in battle.

Here you must fight a Demon Wraith and his armies of the undead. Kill
him.

There are lots of minor treasures in here. There is also a really
good item as well:

(x 340 y 640) - White Dragon Scales (Cespenar can make armor of these)

Again, take the portal you came out of (the "north" portal).

(AR 3015, the "Exit")

This is more or less where you would have been taken if you got abducted
by a Succubus.

Just for arriving here, you get 10,000 quest experience.

When you first appear here, you'll find Aesgareth confronting you. He's
not from around here. He also has the necessary Scepter Gem in order
for you to move to the next level. That is not of the moment. Be civil
to him, but don't reveal that you have a possible way out. He wants to
play cards with you, the stakes being the Scepter (essentially). Agree
to it. The conversation ends so you can "prepare."

Note: Sounds like your cue to SAVE THE GAME. If you lose the game,
reload. After winning, save it again.

Also... You can pick-pocket Aesgarth for the deck of many
things during the "Let me think about it" time. Your pick-
pocketing skill should be at least 150+ though. (Xander77)

Talk to him again. The game involves attempting to survive whatever the
Deck of Many Things hurls at you. The stakes are, for him the Scepter
Gem, a Wish Scroll or a Spectral Brand, and you get to pick:

Note: The Spectral Brand (Long Sword +4) is upgradeable by Cespenar.

The Way Out (The Vigil Stone)... wager this!
Experience
Vitality

Note: If you get the strength card and lose your Strength, use a
Remove Curse spell to dispel it. (thanks to Doug Scheurich)

You win by picking the "higher" card, which usually means the "worse"
card! Winning a game is worth 25,000 quest experience. If you win the
first two games (for the Spectral Brand and Wish scroll), talk to him
again and get an instant 20,000 quest experience.

Try to get the Spectral Brand if you can. Even if you lose the draw,
Aesgareth will return the Vigil Stone to you (so you don't lose anything)
and even give you the Scepter Gem to boot! What a nice demon.

For completing this you get 25,000 quest experience.

Note: The maximum experience playing the game is 95,000 quest
experience. Remember quest experience is NOT divided among
the party, everyone gets that exact amount. (when you kill a
1000 exp monster, on the other hand, it is divided amongst
everyone in the party)

Alternatively: You could be hostile and attack him.

Aesgareth - 21,000 experience
Deck of Many Things
Scepter Gem
Tiefling - 14,000 experience
Tiefling (2) - 18,000 experience
Tiefling - 16,000 experience
Fell Cat (2) - 9,000 experience

As well as many small treasures...

Total experience 105,000. (divided among your party,
so if you have 6 people, each person gets 17,500 exp)

Also, it is possible to win the first two games, then
lose the last game, and fight him then. You still get
less Exp for killing him than letting him go.

The Deck of Many Things (if you killed Aesgareth and got it):

Card Drawn Effect
Donjon Imprisoned
Ruin Lose 100,000 gold
Void Disintegrated
Magician Transformed into a rabbit, Remove Curse to undo
Skull Summons a hostile death shade, harmed by +5 or higher
Key Random magic item
Star If you are a warrior then +1 to strength; if you are
a Priest, +1 to wisdom; if you are a wizard, +1 to
intelligence, if you are a rogue, +1 to dexterity
Throne Party gets 1,000,000 experience
Moon Character gets +10 to max hit points
Euryale Character loses 1 to all saving throws
Flames Summons a hostile Baalor and some fire elementals
Knight Summons in four demon knights
Rogue Charms the character (they become Red and hostile)
Talons Blinds character. Remove curse to undo
Fool Lowers Wisdom to 3 and Confuses; remove curse spell
Comet Character gets +5 fire resistance
The fates Temporarily boosts +1 to all stats, lasts one day
Gem Get a rogue stone, king's tear, sapphire, diamond,
ruby, and emerald
Vizier Mantle spell for one day
Jester Character gains 50,000 experience
Sun Entire party gains 300,000 experience
Balance Deck vanishes

Time to get out of this maze. Before leaving this level, prepare for a
battle with Mind Flayers. Cast some protective magics on sensitive
players, Haste, etc. Enter the right portal.

- LEVEL FOUR (AR 3017)

Watch as a mage (MAD mage) forces some giths and illithids to fight a
battle. Then you get to talk to him, but this proves to be quite
unfruitful as he simply sends some goons to attack you. (In my case, it
was Illithids)

Up above the machine, there are four large containers (x 3300 y 1550).
Besides having the normal assortment of minor magical items, they also
carry NON-magical items. You might want to take some, you're going to
need them.

Open the door near here (x 3600 y 1660) and enter this room. There are
2 containers upwards, both are locked, the one on the left is trapped.
They have only minor treasures. There's another locked chest at the
lower end of this room with more minor treasures.

Open the next door (x 4100 y 1300) to find the Magical Golems. These
guys can be hurt ONLY by non-magical weaponry (hence the shelf full of
that stuff), so be sure that everyone is equipped with something mundane.
However, once you have normal weapons equipped, these golems are
pushovers.

Enter their room, and search the giant Pool to get some Blue Oil.

The three containers (the middle one is trapped) at the top of this room
have more minor treasures.

Back to Carston's Room. This time, take the door to the south (x 2600
y 2300)

The container just to your south (x 2850 y 2600) has a large variety of
healing potions.

The treasure chests at the top of the room are not treasure chests at
all, but Killer Mimics that attack you. Once the mimics are dead, you
can search the containers for more minor treasures.

The final door (x 2130 y 2670) leads to several torches, which you can't
light just yet. Back to Carston's room. Head up to the top stairs
(x 2400 y 1500). You'll be fighting more Mind Flayers, so be ready.
Go down.

(AR 3021)

Once here, I summoned a Mordenkainen's Sword, and sent it down. The
enemies all attacked that (quite uselessly) allowing me to swoop in
behind them and slaughter them.

Open the door to the left, and go down the passage to a small circular
room. There were some Umber Hulks here that wanted to be killed. Once
they're dead, search the circular thing in the center for:

Illithid Rod
Wand of Cursing
other treasures...

Go back, then open the lower door and enter that room. There are more
Hulks and Illithids in here to be killed.

Search the table at (x 1600 y 915) for:

5 Potions of Extra Healing
Handwritten Note
other treasures...

Open the cell door, and search the table in there for more small
treasures. Also the table to the right has more treasures, healing
potions, etc.

Enter the right cell and talk to the dying Apprentice. Ask him about
Carston and the exit to the next level. The key is the Machine, of
course. He dies, and you can then search the table behind him for more
small treasures. For helping him die (I guess) you get 1000 quest
experience.

Open the southern door, and go down the passage to another circular
room. There are 3 illithids in here and some Umber Hulks. Kill them.
One of the illithids has the second part of the Illithid Rod key, once
you get it you get 4000 experience and the completed key. The container
in the center of the room here is TRAPPED and has minor treasures.

Go back up to the cell room, then left (x 1200 y 1000).

This is the Red Oil Room. When you take the red oil from the vat you
will be attacked by a couple of Vampiric Illithids (the best of BOTH
worlds there). They're each worth 14,000 experience.

Head back up to Carston's level.

(AR 3017)

Drop down to the lower stairway (x 4000 y 2600) and go down.

(AR 3022)

If you thought that the Gith might be more reasonable than the Illithid
were, well you're wrong. They're not.

Note: Some of these Gith are considered to be Anti-Paladins. Don't
you wish that you could be an Anti-Paladin?

There are 3 chests in this first room, and the "middle" one is trapped.
They mostly have minor treasures with one exception...

Be sure to get the Flint and Tinder from the lower chest (x 880 y 550).

The door to the right has more Giths and some minor treasures.

Open the lower-left door and go through (x 900 y 800).

Fight off the Giths in this room, then search it for treasure. There is
another Handwritten Note here at (x 400 y 950).

Open the door in the lower right (x 900 y 1200) to go to the next room.
You'll have to fight through a wave of Gith, but if you can take on the
Illithids, the Gith should present no problems at all. When they're
dispatched, go further to the right to find the captain. You can't talk
him out of a fight, so don't bother trying.

Captain - 7500 experience
Diary of Carston's Apprentice (a Clue!)
Angurvadal (Long Sword +4, upgradeable by Cespenar)

Search the "teeth" of their ship (x 1350 y 1550) to find:

Montolio's Clasp (part of Montolio's Cloak, upgradeable by Cespenar)
other treasures...

Search the purple pool (x 1550 y 1700) to get:

Purple Oil

Open the door in the bottom right corner here (x 1830 y 1960) and
descend.

(AR 3018)

Follow this down to find a great red Dragon, Saladrex. In case you're
planning on attacking him (don't yet), here are his general stats:

244 HP -12 AC -6 THAC0 3 Attacks 30% all weapon res. 64,000 exp

Staff of the Ram +4 (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
Rogue Stone
1500 gold
other treasures...

Anyway, let's just have a pleasant chat with him for a bit. You can
attack later if you want. Try to use the "flattering" answers whenever
possible ("oh mighty Saladrex") as he is a very vain dragon. Ask him
what he's doing here, and he'll tell you that he was summoned by the
Mad Mage Carston like everyone else, but he found that he liked it here.
Depending on how flattering you were, you'll be able to ask him some
questions. Ask him everything that you want...

Then, if you so desire, you can attack. Most of the "trick" strategies
for killing dragons that worked in BG2, no longer work (Fake Talk,
tossing out Cloudkills, etc.), so you might actually have to prepare for
a real fight. I'd make sure to cast Resist Fear on everyone, as Dragons
tend to be frightening.

Tips: Killed the dragon by using one of the many spell striking
wands to lower its resistance (cast about 3 times), then
used wand of lightning a bunch of times. Used cleric to
heal/cast resist fire/resurrect. Important to note that the
dragon in watcher's keep cannot fit through its big doorway,
allowing you to stay out of range of all but it's fire
breath. Fun stuff. If you're really crafty, you can grab
some additional fire protections, and nix the cleric. This
method is mainly for those who go straight from Irenicus'
Dungeon to Watcher's Keep. (from Braden)

Once you're done here, go back up.

(AR 3022)

Want to fight a Demi-Lich? Whenever you've prepared, head over to the
left, open the door (x 750 y 1850) and descend.

(AR 3027)

Nothing here, but a Demi-Lich! I'd send in only one character and
attempt to draw him out of his little hidey-hole. I'd keep your mages
WELL away from this battle so they can cast Freedom on anyone who happens
to get imprisoned by him. So, what I did was cast Simulacrum, and had
that stay in the battle with me, and had my real mage go hide somewhere.
I'd also send your main character away as well, this prevents him/her
from getting imprisoned and ending your game. Of course, if you have a
Berserker in your party, just Berserk and hit him hard and fast.
Berserking makes you immune to imprison.

Demi-Lich - 55,000 experience
Star Dagger +4 (upgradeable by Cespenar)
20,000 gold
other treasures...

Be sure to check his coffin for more treasures.

Go back to the Gith level, and from there back to the main Mad Mage
level.

(AR 3017)

Head left to the torches (x 1680 y 2860). There are 6 torches, 3 on the
left and 3 on the right. Here's the color coding...

Red Blue
Red Purple
Purple Red

Click on each torch and light them according to the pattern. (You get
the pattern from the tiles in the two side rooms, if you're curious...
it's easier to see if you look at the mini-map) When all the torches
light, the door opens and everyone gets 10,000 quest experience points.

Enter the last room.

Here you must fight two Minotaurs, Rock and Garock. Somehow they also
summon other monsters to help them. But after clearing out a dragon and
demi-lich, what are 2 minotaurs?

Rock - 15,000 experience
Axe of the Unyielding +3 (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
2 Potions of Superior Healing
Battle Axe +3

Garock - 10,000 experience
2 Potions of Superior Healing
Battle Axe +3

Time to search the Vaults. The left one is trapped, the right one is
locked.

Get the Crystal Mallet from the left vault.

Be sure to get the Clay Golem page from the right vault. The other
treasure is decidedly minor.

Head back to the great machine, and click on it. You need to hit the
thing SIX times in order to get Carsten out of it. Once he is removed
from his cocoon, he isn't quite as arrogant. Let him live and he'll
give you his journal. You get 10,000 experience for letting him live.
(He's worth only 6000 to kill) Read his journal to learn how to activate
the portal to the next level. However, we have a machine to play with
first...

Save it first, then use the machine. All the handwritten notes you have
been gathering are the formulas for what you can do with it. Each
valid combination requires 3 switches/buttons/whatever to be pressed.
They can be done in any order. The bonuses work on whoever used the
machine, not just the main character. So, if you need your priest to
gain some wisdom...

Here is a complete list of the valid combinations:

Triangle Green Medium } Storm Star +3 (Cespenar can upgrade)
Blue Green Long } Gain Magic Res.
Circle Blue Long } +1 INT
Square Blue Short } +1 DEX
Red Green Short } +1 CHA
Circle Square Triangle } +1 WIS
Circle Red Long } +1 CON
Square Short Medium } +1 STR
Triangle Red Medium } Exit to next level

Note: You can only do the Stat bonuses ONCE.

If you enter in an INVALID combination, you get some really bad random
effects (well, mostly bad):

10% chance to gain a Potion of Superior Healing.
10% chance to get 100,000 experience (only for whoever used it)
10% chance to become Imprisoned (bad if it's your main character)
10% chance for 50 fire damage
10% chance turned to stone (bad if it's your main character)
10% chance to lose 1 INT
10% chance for 75 lightning damage
10% chance to be poisoned
10% chance to lose 15 levels
10% chance to lose 1 DEX

Anyway, use the machine's Triangle, Red, Medium combination to open up
the portal to the next level. This is worth 25,000 quest experience.
The portal you want to enter is the Right Portal (x 2800 y 1400).

- LEVEL FIVE (AR 3019)

Well here we are on the final level. In fact, you can see the Final
Seal just ahead. All you have to do is figure a way to open it. The
other portal here takes you out of the dungeon.

There are 3 doors around this area, one below, one to the left and one
to the right. Open the lower door (x 2460 y 2460) and talk to the
Helmite Ghost. Be confident and tell him that you are ready for anything
that might be ahead. Tell him that you are ready for the challenge and
he tells you to enter the 3 doors behind him.

Enter the left door first (x 2300 y 2950).

(AR 3025)

You will be fighting orcs in here. Lots and lots of orcs. This area is
on a timer. As long as the timer is going, there will be a constant
supply of orcs for you to fight. So, until the end, there will be 10
orcs in the room.

After a short while, the spirit appears, congratulates you and gives you
21,000 quest experience.

Search the pool for:

Ixil's Nail (Cespenar can upgrade)
5 Potions of Extra Healing
minor treasures...

Go back up.

(AR 3019)

Now open the middle door (x 2640 y 3000) and go down. You will be
fighting a Dragon, so be warned.

(AR 3024)

This challenge is much more interesting, you get to fight a Green Dragon!
I found this dragon quite a bit easier than the Red one earlier. Anyway
I simply summoned up some Mordenkainen's Swords (2), a Fire Elemental.
Then I cast a few protection spells and hacked at the dragon till he
died.

Dragon - 62,000 experience
Warrior's Skull
Hindo's Doom +3 (upgradeable by Cespenar)
1500 gold
other treasures...

With the dragon dead, you get congratulated by the ghost and another
21,000 quest experience.

Exit.

(AR 3019)

Time for the last door (x 2900 y 2900).

(AR 3026)

Here you meet up with a gaming imp. No way out, you'll just have to
answer her questions. Oh, and if you fail, she Imprisons your entire
party.

First, here is her riddle:

"I have as many brothers as sisters, but my brothers have twice the
number of sisters as brothers. How many children do my parents have?"

Answer: Seven

This is worth 10,000 quest experience.

Next you play the Game of Coins. Here is the way to win at this:

You take:

2 coins (he'll take 1 coin)
3 coins (he takes 3 coins)
1 coin (leaving him the last coin, so he loses!)

Beating the Imp again is worth another 10,000 experience. The Spirit
appears again, congratulates you and gives you another 21,000 quest
experience.

There are 3 containers in here with various minor treasures. Also, the
chest against the wall is TRAPPED. When you're done looting, exit.

(AR 3019)

When you appear, the Spirit talks to you, and gives you the Heart Key.
(actually, for me, he gave it to Jaheira)

1 key down, 2 to go.

Go up and to the left, and open that door (x 1240 y 1580). Kill off any
monsters in here. This is the Orb Room, where colored balls shoot out of
a machine to be deposited in large pillars. Why, you ask? For a key.

Go up and examine the machine. You'll have to go through the Notes
before it actually lets you play with the machine. You're going to have
to press each of the 4 buttons 4 times. Each time you press a button you
get a new Orb of the same color as the button. After you get an orb,
place it into the same colored Pillar. There are some side effects to be
aware of:

Note: Despite what the machine says, you only have to put ANY ONE of
the colored globes into their proper Pillar. That means you can
get away with pushing only 4 buttons total, rather than 16.

Red 1: Summons Hobgoblins
Red 2: Summons Kuo-Toas
Red 3: Summons Trolls
Red 4: Summons Greater Wolfweres

Blue 1: Summons a Mage (11,000 exp)
Blue 2: Summons a Mage (14,000 exp)
Blue 3: Summons a Mage (20,000 exp)
Blue 4: Summons a Mage (6000 exp)

Purple 1: Summons Skeletal Warriors
Purple 2: Summons Shadows
Purple 3: Summons Vampires
Purple 4: Summons Liches

Green 1: Summons Mutated Spiders
Green 2: Summons Umber Hulks
Green 3: Summons Earth Elementals
Green 4: Summons Beholders

Note: Each button pressed gives you 1000 quest experience for a total
of 16,000 quest experience.

Tip: With the "purple" undead monsters, I turned the script off of my
Cleric, and had her stand near where the monsters appear. Then,
because of being at a high level, every undead was blown to bits.

Here's a list of what the first 3 orbs do for each color: (Dave Loveland)

Green - Summon Shambling Mound
Green - Melf's Acid Arrow
Green - Temporary +5% magic resistance (on caster)
Blue - Cone of Cold
Blue - Greater Restoration
Blue - Protection from Normal Missiles
Purple - Invisibility
Purple - Mass Cure
Purple - Cloud Giant Strength (on caster)
Red - Fireball
Red - Good Luck (temporary +1 to saves for each member of your party)
Red - Heals 64 hit points

When you're done, you get the Mind Key, which is worth 10,000 quest
experience. 2 down, 1 to go.

Go over to the right door (x 2900 y 1300) and go in. You'll have to
fight through some enemies, but nothing you can't handle. Go up to the
pedestal and click it to place the Skull you got from the dragon on it.
This teleports you to a hidden realm ...

(AR 3023)

You cannot move. In fact, all you can do is control the Spirit Warrior
and tell him where to go. This dungeon has been reduced to almost a
Text Adventure level. Your Spirit Warrior has 50 HP, 7 AC, 10 THAC0.

Map: (start in Room 1)

Room 12 -- Room 11 -- Room 10
Mummy Chest } Heal Gibberling (use scroll)
(Req. Key) |
|
|
Room 7 -- Room 8 -- Room 9
Ghost | Desk (Bracers +1 THAC0)
Chest (Helm) | chance to be poisoned when opened
| |
| |
Room 4 -- Room 5 -- Room 6
Poison Scroll War Dog
Fountain Search for Potion (Heal) & Key
| |
| |
Room 1 -- Room 2 -- Room 3
Goblin Treasure Chest (Wand)
Skeleton attacks when opened

Wand Note: If you don't use your wand beforehand, it will be more
powerful when you fight the Mummy later.

Fleeing Note: If you flee the goblin you take 2 damage.
If you flee the skeleton or War Dog you take 5 damage.
If you flee the ghost you take 7 damage.

Experiences: You get 4000 quest experience for getting the Helm.
4000 QExp for getting the Potion & Key.
4000 QExp for getting the Scroll
4000 QExp for getting the Bracers
3000 QExp for using the Scroll on the Gibberling
4000 QExp for using the key and opening the chest

As you can see from the map, there are many ways to do this one. The
route I favor is this:

Room 1: Go North to 4.
Room 4: Go North to 7.
Room 7: Kill ghost, open chest to get the +1 AC Helm. Go south.
Room 4: Go south to 1.
Room 1: Go east to 2.
Room 2: Fight goblin. East to 3.
Room 3: Open chest, fight skeleton, get Wand. Go up to 6.
Room 6: Fight War Dog, search for Potion (Heal) & Key. West to 5.
Room 5: Search for Scroll. Up to 8.
Room 8: East to 9.
Room 9: There is a 33% chance to get poisoned if you open the desk.
The Bracers +1 THAC0 are nice, however. North to 10.
Room 10: Use Scroll to kill Gibberling. West to 11.
Room 11: Open Chest (needs the Key from room 6) to get healed. Go
through the Arch to 12.
Room 12: Fight the mummy. Use the Wand first, then attack.

If you don't want any of the items, the non-violent (at least until you
get to the Mummy) route is:

Room 1: Go north to 4.
Room 4: Go east to 5.
Room 5: Search for scroll. North to 8.
Room 8: East to 9.
Room 9: North to 10.
Room 10: Use Scroll to kill Gibberling. West to 11.
Room 11: Go through Archway to 12.
Room 12: Fight Mummy. I believe the mummy is stronger if you don't
have the Helm and Bracers.

Thus you are released from the Spirit Warrior, having succeeded in
getting the final key. For this you get 21,000 quest experience.

(AR 3019)

Go over to the great Seal on the floor. There are 3 pedestals around it,
click on each of these. Each key used gets you 20,000 quest experience
(for 60,000 total). Now that we've stuck the keys in, we still have
to turn them. And when you turn the keys, monsters appear. As soon as
you turn the key, I'd pause it and survey your enemies. If you have any
mages, take them out quickly to avoid getting Time Stopped.

Upper Right - Spirits of Priests (and one mage)
Items: Club of Detonation +3
Lower - Lich (25,000 experience), Flaming Skulls
Items: Erinne Sling +4 (upgradeable by Cespenar)
Serpent Shaft (upgradeable by Cespenar)
Upper Left - Final Guardians

The Final Guardians are meant to be very tough, and so they are. They
consist of:

Nalmissra - Tanar'ri
25,000 experience
Scroll: Wish
The Huntress - Demonic
20,000 experience
Taralash Bow +4 (increases movement rate, Upgradeable)
Y'tossi - Demonic
23,000 experience
Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization (+1 THAC0, +2 dmg
+ 1/2 attack per round)
Amerilis Zauviir - Cleric
20,000 experience
Hive Mother - Beholder
50,000 experience
Xei Win Toh - Fighter
28,000 experience

There are also lots of minor treasures too.

To prepare for the final battle, I summoned up some Mordenkainen's Swords
and placed them around the portal. I then moved my party well over to
the left, cast protective magics on them (and a Simulacrum as well).
If you have the Cloak of Reflection or the Shield of Balduran, be sure
to have those equipped on someone, and have them rush the Beholder.
I had the Swords attack Y'tossi as she is very tough and requires high
enchantments (the Swords are +5) to even hit. I then hit Nalmissra
(after doing a Remove Magic on her) since she was close before
concentrating more fully on the Beholder. Once those monsters are gone
it's practically smooth sailing.

Note: Getting killed by Instant-Death attacks? Try using the Death
Ward (cleric) before hand.

Saving after the battle is a GOOD idea.

Alan Cherry has a good idea: Keep everyone near the exit portal. Take
out one or two of the opponents, then use the portal and leave as soon as
someone's hurt bad. Heal up and recharge spells, and come back in. As
long as nobody's too far from the portal, you can exit anytime. Cast
Resist Fear before entering, since you can't control a character who
panics.

Konstantin has a more magical strategy: All it requires is a Mage or a
Sorcerer and the skull trap spell. I call this the chain reaction.
Anyway, the best kind of fight is when you get the XP for free. So I had
my thief set snares around the room and then using project image I had my
Sorcerer pump the room full of skull traps about 12 in each of the places
where the monsters would appear. This of course took a few minutes.
Then I took a rest and cast all of my protective spells, and got ready
for a fight. I carefully came up to the key thing (whatever it is) and
turned the key. There was a laugh, then my screen froze for a few
seconds as the skull traps were going off, when everything was finished
all the guardians were dead. They did not touch me once.

Xander77 offers the following strategies:

To begin with. it may be a good idea to kill all the monsters at the
monster machine except for the purple (undead) ones. Then start turning
undead with a sanctuaried cleric and recruit a bunch of Vampires,
Skeleton Warriors and Liches to your cause before going after the
guardians.

Finish the other seal guardians, rest-up and buff-up (For this battle I
suggest summoning 1 planetar 2-3 skeleton warriors/hashekars and 1-2
Mordenkainen's Swords. Cast a storm of venegance over the area if you
feel like it. Now. arrange everyone according to the strategy of your
choice and - open the last seal.

Strategy 1 - General pile-up.

Simple enough - send all the summoned creatures into battle. Let your
characters stand back and use every area-damage spell they know
(preferably summon-friendly ones). Chain-contingency + horrid wiltings
might work here (it might work in any big combat). Timestop + Improved
Alacricity is also nice.

Strictly according to the rules. A bit-touch-and-go, but doable
(especially if your level is 20+)

OTOH - It does seem somewhat impersonal, doesn't it? Going on to:

Strategy 2 - divide and conquer.

Make sure that all your guys and summons take their assigned places
(see below) except for one mage that opens the final seal. At this
point we handle 3 of the guardians on a party-monster basis, while the
summons distract the other 3. Simple enough.

Nimarha - Send a guy with negative plain protection (IMOD for example)
and charm protection against her. All her attacks are ignored, while
the guy uses a ranged weapon to help his friends. If you can find a
mage with the above specifications - even better. We need all the
fighters we can get taking down Ytossi and the Hive mother - the mage
can just stoneskin, and sit there doing his thing.

Ytossi - a fighter or 2. Breach her protection from magic weapons (a
mage should alternate between breaching her, breaching the hive mother
and magic missiling anyone who seems to be up to something).

Hive mother - one guy with Cloak of reflection. An enraged Korgan is
good - maze and imprisonment won't work. Possibly another guy with high
MR\Cloak of Balduran to help him send her on her way before she starts
targeting the other party members.

BTW - If your main char is a fighter, you can distract them all the 3
on the right by yourself, and let the summons help your party. Both the
kensai and the archer have +1 weapons (the archer has a +2/ or maybe
+3 sword, but she only uses it once she runs out of arrows) so they
can't hurt you. You should carve the drow up bad enough that she won't
have time to fire of a spell.

Vice versa - you can handle the 3 on the right with your party (just
run on in and keep hitting them. Keep a mage free to keep the 3 on the
left in line) and let the summons handle the ones on the left in the
meantime. In which case:

Namirra - One skeleton warrior, or something else she can't charm and
can stay alive after a level drain or 2.

Ytossi - one mordy sword. 2 if you feel like breaching and letting them
finish her.

Hive mother - one skeleton warrior and one Hakeashar. Both magic
resistant.

Planetar - wanders around and kills anything that needs killing.

Cast a death word on your weaker party members in case a spell goes
after the wrong person, and finish the whole thing quickly - they start
turning to opponents other then the ones they're currently facing after
a while.

Once they're dead and gone, time to click the Wheel above the Seal to
open it.

Going down...

- THE IMPRISONED ONE (AR 3020)

Ah, finally we meet the elusive "Imprisoned One"... He'll try to talk
you out of using the Scroll you were given, at the moment we don't want
to listen to that. Get out of the conversation, put the scroll in a
Quick Item Slot and use it. This is worth 80,000 quest experience.

Of course, the Imprisoned One was right, and you are now trapped down
here. You can go up the stairs and look at the portals, but you sure
can't do anything about it. Talk to the demogorgon again. Listen to its
plan, it will open a small rift in the seal to let you out, you go talk
to the false-Helmites and trick them into coming to check on the
Imprisoned One, he kills them and everyone is happy. Sounds like fun.
Agree, and he'll open the portals.

Use the Right Portal to get back to the beginning.

(AR 3000)

You'll appear on the ground level, find the stairs up to the roof to
talk to Odren. Tell him what the Imprisoned One told you to tell him,
(that you killed the Imprisoned One) and they'll go rushing down to
check for themselves.

After that a Specter appears and talks to you. She tells you that Odren
was indeed corrupt, that it was He who was supposed to do the ritual
binding the Demogorgon (prince of demons) in the Keep. He wimped out
and thought to sacrifice you. She says Helm has sealed his fate. She
gives you three options to do:

Flee in Terror
Enter the Keep and Save Orden
Use a New Scroll to Seal both Demogorgon and Orden inside

Pick either Enter the Keep or Use the Scroll and she'll give you the
scroll (just in case). This is worth 25,000 experience.

The easiest is to simply take the New Scroll, use it and seal both
inside. This gets you 80,000 quest experience.

Note: Once you seal the Demogorgon in with the Scroll, you can never
again attempt to kill him.

... Except for a very small area on the door that still allows
you to enter, that is.

Of course, many people might think it too easy to simply use a scroll,
if so the it is time to go back inside. Drop down the stairs to the
ground, then over to the left and into the Demogorgon's Lair.

If not, then congratulations on completing the Watcher's Keep.

(AR 3020)

Everyone dies really quickly around the Demogorgon, so you can't expect
help from the "knights." Demogorgon also summons up a pair of Mariliths
(similar to Y'tossi from earlier) making this a very tough battle indeed.

Anyway, before dropping down to his level, you'll want to prepare
yourself. Protection spells, summonings, anything you think might help.
Make sure everyone has +4 weapons so that they can actually hit something
down there (otherwise, just leave them up by the portals). If you kill
one set of minions, he'll summon more. In order to hit the Demogorgon
you'll need to lower his defenses. I would suggest Khelben's Warding
Whip. Use all of your special abilities/items/spells that you can while
in the battle. There's no better time than now to try out your Whirlwind
attacks. It is not ESSENTIAL to take out his Mariliths, you could leave
them be and just try to kill Demogorgon. If you do kill his Mariliths
he'll summon more... again and again. Remember, you can't hurt him
if he has protections on, so use Warding Whip!

If you have the higher abilities, summon Planetars and other similar
creatures (those can sure take a beating). You may get poisoned, so
either have an antidote, or a spell handy. Set up Contingencies if you
can, and Spell Triggers.

Demogorgon - 290 HP -12 AC -8 THAC0 5 Attacks
36,000 experience
Mariliths - 23,000 experience
Balor - 26,000 experience
Glabrezu - 12,000 experience
Cambion - 18,000 experience

Note: This is probably the most difficult battle in any of these
games, so if you can't do it after several attempts, try
coming back later.

Also, you cannot cheat to kill the Demogorgon. It won't work.

Demogorgon is not stopped by Time Stop, so unless your mage
can fight him on his/her own, don't use it.

Exploits work against Demogorgon quite well. Drop a "Pit
Trap" in the center before he appears (Or, drop several). Or
if you're into magic, use the Project Image spell exploit to
summon multiple Planetars.

Find Demogorgon too easy? Try David Gaider's (a senior designer
at Bioware) more difficult Demogorgon:

http://www.baldurdash.org/ToB/TOBtweaksandcheats.html

Killing the Demogorgon is also worth 100,000 quest experience. Talk to
Orden to get 20,000 quest experience.

Either way, you are done with the Watcher's Keep!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. } } } } Grove of the Ancients AR 4000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exposition:
-----------

Any drow items that you were cheaply carrying around in the sunlight (from
earlier tricks) will turn to dust.

Companions:
-----------

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Sarevok 18/00 17 18 17 10 15 Human Fighter Chaotic Evil

Sarevok has been killed by you (twice), but now lives again thanks to a
piece of Bhaalsoul. He offers you information and help, but can you
really trust your old nemesis?

Also, although he is Chaotic Evil at the moment, depending on how you
treat him, you can get him to change alignments to Chaotic Good. In
order to get him to switch, don't ask for him to make the promise, then
act good around him yourself, giving him second chances and whatnot.

Found in: Hell

Grade: A There isn't a better fighter in any of the Baldur's Gate
games. Plus if you're really crazy you can dual him to a mage
or thief for even more fun. The only real problem with
Sarevok is his Chaotic Evil nature, which adds conflict to a
good-aligned party.

Walkthrough:
------------

- SACRED GROVE

Time to talk to some big heads. They give you the standard cryptic
prophecy routine, then set you in a different place in this area. You
sense that you are about to be attacked and soon a woman named Illasera
appears. She is a child of Bhaal like yourself, and very quickly she'll
turn hostile on you. She appears to be a minor mageling (98 HP). Take
her out:

10,000 experience
Boots of Speed
Dagger +2
2 Extra Healing Potions
Ring of Protection +1
Sylvan Chain +2

Note: This battle, like many others, becomes more difficult based on
the strength of your party.

Also, don't worry about the items, they'll be teleported with
you.

After the battle, when you attempt to move, you will collapse and awaken
in hell.

- INFERNAL FORTRESS (AR 4500)

You wake up and a Solar greets you. She is as cryptic as the giant heads
were (there must be a rule about this, all divine beings must be
unintelligible) and offers no real answers... yet. She does mention that
Alaundo was her servant, and therefore might know something about his
prophecy and your powers. She vanishes, and Sarevok appears.

Sarevok is not quite what he used to be, in fact, he is probably only a
shadow of his former self, called into being because you happened to be
thinking about him at the time. In any case, he offers some sage wisdom
on the nature of this place. You have managed to create a subplane
within Bhaal's realm, and this subplane is currently separating you from
the greater plane. Sarevok noticed this creation in progress, and came
to wait for you with a deal. He wants to live again, and only you can
make this happen. In exchange for this, he offers you knowledge.

At this point you can try badgering him to give you the information right
now, but he won't. He needs some Bhaalsoul to get him up and running
again. If you have Imoen with you, you can ask her to do it instead.
Either way Sarevok returns to life (and you don't feel any worse off).
He has a good hearty laugh, then launches into some Vital Clues for you.
He opens up a passage to a "challenge" that you must face, and tells you
to not attempt it alone. He then tells you that you must eventually get
to the Tethyrian city of Saradush where all things will begin. Next he
wants to join with you, and even offers you an Oath of Fealty.

There are several empty containers in here. Use these to store your
items that you don't know what to do with (such as Component Items for
upgrading your weapons... see below).

Summoning Party Members: On each side of the Planar Exit are statues of
people. Click on them to talk to the Spirit. Eventually it will reveal
that it can summon people who are tied to you. Use this to summon any
party members that you would like to join you.

Note: Although Yoshimo appears on this list, he is regarded as dead
and cannot be summoned.

- CESPENAR, THE IMP

Walk a little left and down to find Cespenar, your imp-butler blacksmith.
His purpose is to upgrade your weapons and items. (like Cromwell, but
better) Here is the complete list of everything he can make, along with
a list of ingredients required to make them:

Note: Unless I say otherwise, assume the item costs 5,000 gold to make.

Also, several items (such as the String of Gond) are used in the
making of several items. This means you must choose which item
you want to upgrade, because once you upgrade one thing, you can't
do the other.

Most of these are found in the Watcher's Keep, unless otherwise
noted.

Case of Plenty +2 -- Case of Plenty
Heartwood Ring -- Oaken Ring (Amkethran)
Nymph's Tear (Forest of Mir)
Thieves Hood (better)- Thieves Hood
Ring of Invisibility
Antidote Potion
10,000 gold
Helm of the Rock -- Helm of the Rock
(better) Horn (left)
Horn (right)
Montolio's Cloak -- Montolio's Clasp
Montolio's Cloak (Amkethran)
Wondrous Gloves -- Bard's Gloves
Star Sapphire
Diamond
Emerald
Rogue Stone
Blessed Bracers -- Paladin's Bracers
10,000 gold
Circlet of Netheril -- Bronze Ioun Stone (Vampire Nest, Saradush)
Circlet of Netheril
Golem Manual -- Golem Manual
Clay Golem Page
& 5,000 gold
Stone Golem Page (Marching Mountains)
& 10,000 gold
Juggernaut Golem Page (Abazigal's Lair)
& 15,000 gold
Improved Cloak of -- Cloak of Protection +2
Protection +2 Scroll: Invisibility
Scroll: Improved Haste
20,000 gold
White Dragon Scale -- White Dragon Scales
Blue Dragon Plate -- Blue Dragon Scales (Abazigal)
Aslyerferund Elven -- Bladesinger Chain +4 (Dragon in Suldanesselar)
Chain +5 Scroll: Protection from Normal Weapons
40,000 gold
Bag of Plenty +2 -- Bag of Plenty (Marching Mountains)
King's Tears
10,000 gold
Erinne Sling +5 -- Erinne Sling +4
Fire Tooth +5 -- Fire Tooth +4
Bowstring of Gond (Sendai's Lair)
Quiver of Plenty +2 -- Quiver of Plenty
Rogue Stone
10,000 gold
Darkfire Bow +5 -- Bowstring of Gond (Sendai's Lair)
Darkfire Bow (Capt. Erelon, Amkethran)
Taralash +5 -- Bowstring of Gond (Sendai's Lair)
Taralash +4
Runehammer +5 -- Runehammer +4 (Siege Camp)
Rune of Clangeddin (Sendai's Forest)
Flail of Ages +4 -- Flail of Ages +3
Flail Head (Poison)
Flail of Ages +5 -- Flail of Ages +4
Flail Head (Electric) (Abazigal)
Storm Star +5 -- Storm Star +3
Starfall Ore (found in Kiser's House, Saradush)
Club of Detonation +5 - Club of Detonation +3
Ring of Fire Resistance
Hindo's Doom +4 -- Hindo's Doom +3
Hindo's Hand (Abazigal's Lair)
Spectral Brand +5 -- Spectral Brand +4
Skull of the Lich (Sendai's Lair)
Ravager +6 -- Ravager +4 (Yaga Shura's Lair)
Serpent Shaft
Staff of the Ram +6 -- Staff of the Ram +4 (Watcher's, Dragon)
Roranach's Horn
Axe of the -- Baalor's Claw (Marching Mountain)
Unyielding +5 Axe of the Unyielding +3
Ixil's Spike +6 -- Ixil's Spike
Ixil's Nail +4
Dagger of the -- Dagger of the Star +4 (Watcher's, Demi-Lich)
Star +5 Star Sapphire (5)
Carsomyr +6 -- Carsomyr +5 (Firkraag)
Eye of Tyr (Sendai's Lair)
Gram (improved) -- Gram the Sword of Grief +5 (Abazigal's Lair)
Heart of the Damned (Sendai's Lair)
Purifier +5 -- Purifier +4
Eye of Tyr (Sendai's Lair)
Foebane +5 -- Foebane +3
Fflar's Scabbard (Saradush Sewer)
Angurvadal +5 -- Angurvadal +4
Liquid Mercury (Sendai's Lair)
10,000 gold
Sword of Mask +5 -- Short Sword of Mask +4
Heart of the Damned (Sendai's Lair)

- THE CHALLENGE

If you don't have a party, go summon one (the statues by the top door),
then make your way up the stairs to the challenge.

At the challenge you talk with a man called Gavid, a Bhaalspawn who died
before learning of his heritage. Gavid "dies" and you are beset upon by
monsters. They start small and work their way up in difficulty ending
with Drow. After which Gavid appears and tells you there is no way out
of retribution... or is there?

Note: The challenge gets even more difficult if you are a higher
level. Also the challenge differs depending on your alignment.
If you are good you fight evil monsters, if you are evil you
fight good guys (say, peasants, elves and so forth).

The place where you are standing changes a bit, but you're still in Hell.
Everyone gets 25,000 experience, while the main character gets 30,000
exp. The main character also gets the Pocket Plane ability, which will
return you to your private dimension.

Time to go...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. } } } } Saradush, City Under Siege (AR 5000)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- MELISSAN

You appear in the middle of a ... disagreement. The authorities believe
you to be hostile and attack on sight. Better clear them out quickly.
After they're all dead, Melissan talks to you. She sums up the situation
for you: the city is under siege by Yaga Shura (Bhaalspawn) preventing
anyone from leaving, and the city is under control of Gromnir
(Bhaalspawn) who is quite Mad and probably will get everyone killed.
After that you can ask her some questions. Ask everything you can.

Note: As this is a city under siege, don't stay in any place too
long... fire tends to rain from the sky.

There are various Minor Bhaalspawn in town. Unless I
specifically mention them, they aren't important.

Also, there are various random treasures to be found in the
containers of the city.

The Harlot in the main city has nothing at all to do with the
Vampire Courtesan plot you'll find later. In fact, she simply
wants to wish you well in getting to Gromnir. There are some
interesting Romance notes here as well, if you do agree to go
with the Harlot it ends a romance with Aerie, however, Viconia
is simply amused and convinced that this will make you realize
just how much better she is. After killing Gromnir, talk to
the Harlot again to get everyone 1000 experience points.

- THE TAVERN (AR 5003)

Enter the Tavern (x 1050 y 1550). The first thing you'll notice are some
soldiers pestering a waitress. Confront them about it. You can either
bribe them off (500 gold) or fight them. Once they're dispatched (1400
exp, various +2,3 weapons and armors) talk to the waitress to learn that
Gromnir has a secret entrance in the sewers. Naturally.

Note: You'll also find Viekang in here... he's the guy who "blew up"
in a tavern back in Trademeet. If you talk to him you'll learn
that he simply teleports away whenever he felt threatened. He
has a quest too, see below.

Also you can find Volo in the back room.

Talk next to Pyrgam Aleson. Ask him for a secret way into the castle,
and he'll tell you... for a fee (1000 gold). Of course, if you have 14
Charisma or more you can negotiate this down to nothing. He tells you
that there is a way through the old abandoned jail (which has become
overrun with undead). He refers you to the Temple of Waukeen for more
information.

There are 3 containers in this tavern: (x 420 y 530), (x 750 y 220),
(x 420 y 900)

2 Potions of Extra Healing
2 Potions of Superior Healing
Oil of Speed
Random Treasures...

- KEYS

Go over to the temple of Waukeen (x 1280 y 1900) and talk to Farielle.
(she won't help you willingly if you're evil) Ask her about the key to
the castle that Pygram mentioned and she'll tell you. She gives you the
key to the jail, and warns you about the undead there. Everyone gets
1000 exp.

The pool behind her (x 370 y 350) has a:

Water Opal

Also the 2 bookcases to the side have some random treasures. You may
want to buy some Elven Holy Water if you don't have any... *hint*

We now have the key to the Prison, let's get the key to the Sewers. Exit
Waukeen's, then head left to the Barracks (x 630 y 1800).

Once in there, you'll be accosted. Be as hostile as you wanna be, there
is no way out of this fight. Slaughter the troops. Search the room for
treasure (practically all of it is Random) and the Key to the Sewers
(x 375 y 290).

You now have 2 different keys, each leading to roughly the same place in
the end, Gromnir. They merely differ in their methods. After finishing
whichever of the Quests from below, enter either the Sewers (any of the
entrances on the ground) or the Prison (x 1350 y 2250).

Quests:
-------

QUEST: Mateo's Imminent Execution

Militia HQ - Saradush (AR 5000, x 1740 y 810)
Countess's Manor - Saradush (AR 5000, x 1370 y 1370)
Kiser's Home - Saradush (AR 5000, x 2080 y 1820)
Errard - Saradush (AR 5000, x 2370 y 700)

Enter the Militia HQ (x 1740 y 810) and watch the, um, trial take
place. A man named Mateo is taken away based on, well not much
evidence. Looks suspicious. Talk to the captain and get him to
agree to let you talk to Mateo and investigate this further. You
can also ask him more questions, but he doesn't know much.

The bookcase against the wall has some:

2 Potions of Superior Healing

Go up and into the prison. Get the jailer to open the door, then
go up and talk to Mateo, who is in the closest cell. Ask him
whether Kiser is involved and he thinks this somewhat likely. He
says that if Kiser is involved then the Countess is in trouble.
You'll need to talk with her next.

Also, search the back wall of the other cell for:

5 Superior Healing Potions

Exit the building.

You'll find the Countess's building just down the large stairs, to
the left (by the Harlot). Enter. Talk to the Countess and mention
that you have spoken to Mateo. She quite quickly tells you that it
was Kiser behind everything. Kiser, you see, has kidnapped her son
and the only way to get him returned was to turn on Mateo like
that. She also says that Kiser will never give up her son. She
wants you to visit with Kiser to somehow get her son back. Sounds
reasonable.

Note: Her treasure chests raise an alarm if you touch them.

Head out, and down to Kiser's place. Inside bug him about what you
know. Ask him about Mateo. Now if you have a 15 CHA, or have
talked to the Countess, or are evil, or are neutral with a bad
reputation you can get him to divulge more information. He says
that he does indeed have the Countess's son, but he won't give him
up unless you kill Errard, whom he says is the real evil force
here.

Note: You can pickpocket Kiser for a Shakti figurine. (Ken
Adams)

Kiser also has quite a bit of treasure in his house, many of which
is horribly trapped (and all of it Randomized too). I don't think
that you can de-trap these either.

EVIL Note: Following the evil path, he asks you to kill either
the countess or Errard. If you do kill the countess,
he gives you 10,000 gold. If you kill Errard you
get 2,000 gold. Either way gets you 5000 exp for
every party member.

Errard: 20,000 experience
Cleric's Staff +3
Robe of Good Archmagi

Avoiding Errard Note: In Kiser's basement, there's three hidden
switches that can be found by using 'detect traps'
(two in the main room and one in the small bedroom
behind a door). When you press all three, it opens
the secret door that leads to Ardic, and Kiser
appears and attacks you like he normally would after
you talk to Errard. (Dave Loveland)

Interesting. Head out. You'll find Errard at the top of the city
standing on the wall. Talk to him. If we're following the Good
path, tell him that Kiser sent you to kill him. He is a little
shocked, so fill him in on the details. Errard will then track
down the Countess's son for you, and tell you that he is within
the home of Kiser himself.

Return to Kiser's, and drop down to the basement. Kiser threatens
to kill both you and his hostage for revealing his intentions.
Bah. Kill him.

Fighter (2) - 6500 experience (various magical treasures)
Kiser - 6500 experience
Shakti Figurine
Secret Jail Key
other treasures
Fighter - 8000 experience
Thief - 10,000 experience
Mage - 10,000 experience

Find and talk to Ardic for 7000 quest experience points. Besides
3 containers of potions and/or random treasures, search the
cabinet at (x 650 y 350):

Starfall Ore (a component of a more powerful item)
King's Tears

Return to the Countess for your reward: 2000 gold, 5000 exp for
everyone.

QUEST: Tazit's Dead Father

Tazit - Saradush (AR 5000, x 2425 y 1550)

Just to the right and down from where you started, a man will get
whacked by some fire from the sky. Talk to his son, Tazit, who is
quite distraught over this. Offer to have a cleric help (or if you
are a Cleric, to do it yourself). Have your cleric talk to the
boy, and offer to try the spell. When he is raised everyone gets
1000 experience and a Reputation +1.

Alternatively, if you have the Rod of Resurrection you can use
that.

QUEST: Save the Elves

Elves - Saradush (AR 5000, x 1240 y 1180)

Just above the tavern, some elves are having trouble with the local
authorities (seems familiar). Threaten the guard by telling him
that you are a Bhaalspawn, then talk to the elves. They believe
that as soon as possible, the guards will make their move again.
If only someone would offer them refuge.

Head down to the Temple of Waukeen and talk to Farielle. She'll
help the elves out. Return to the elves and tell them the good
news. You also get a reward: Reputation +1, 3000 exp for all
party members.

QUEST: Stop the Dwarves

Dwarves - Saradush (AR 5000, x 1010 y 2180)

Just below the Temple of Waukeen some dwarves are getting angry at
the local authorities. Talk them out of violence for: 1000 exp
each. You could side with the dwarves in a violent struggle, but
you won't get much to make it worth your time.

QUEST: Help Viekang

Tavern - Saradush (AR 5000, x 1050 y 1550)

When you first talk to Viekang, the Bhaalspawn who "exploded" back
in Trademeet, you learn that when he feels fear, he is
uncontrollably teleported away. So, you think he could just get
out of a city under siege. Problem is that Melissan cured him of
his fear. So, if you have an INT of 18 or more, talk to him again
and suggest that maybe a Horror spell could make him feel fear
again. He thinks it could work.

Note: The main character needs the INT of 18. So, if you don't
actually have the Smarts for this one, there are always
potions for that.

Next, have someone cast Horror on him, and he'll be cured. For
this everyone gains 2000 experience points.

QUEST: Lazarus's Missing Spellbook

Arcana Archives - Saradush (AR 5000, x 710 y 1280)
Hectan - Saradush Tavern (AR 5003, x 1070 y 530)
Squip - Saradush (AR 5000, x 990 y 1140)

In the Arcana Archives, you'll discover its caretaker, Lazarus has
had his spellbook stolen. Therefore he can't really sell you
anything. Agree to help him with his problem. He suspects that
Hectan is involved, but can't prove it. Ask for any other clues
to learn of a set of VERY small muddy footprints. Hectan is not a
small man.

You'll find Hectan in the Tavern, in the back. Talk to him and he
denies any involvement. In fact, he has numerous witnesses that
place him in the tavern.

EVIL Note: If you have a low reputation (say, 8 or lower) just
threaten him and he'll cop to the whole story.

Go outside, go up and talk to Squip. Ask him about the spellbook,
and he'll want 1000 gold to tell you anything. You could be nice
and give that to him (heh), but he'll settle for nothing. He tells
you that he did steal the book, and then immediately gave it to
Hectan.

Back to the tavern. This time Hectan admits to it, but says he
only took it because he believes that Lazarus has a teleportation
spell. He wants you to get this from Lazarus. Very well... Go
to Lazarus and get the scroll. However, the scroll is useless as
Yaga has powerful magics preventing anyone from teleporting out.
Take the scroll to Hectan and he'll exchange that for the
spellbook.

Note: If you tell him to TRY using the scroll right there you
lose 1 Reputation.

Return with the spellbook and give it to Lazarus. This not only
reopens his shop, but also gets everyone in your party 5000 exp.

QUEST: Peltje's Vampires

Peltje - Saradush Tavern (AR 5003, x 980 y 815)

Inside the tavern you'll find a fellow named Peltje who believes
that he is not insane. Seems that he believes that all the
"courtesans" have become vampires and have a secret lair where they
drain the blood of innocent mortals like him.

At night, enter the tavern, and go to the top left corner (where
the elves and dwarves sit arguing) to find the Dark Courtesans.
Conveniently, there is one of each gender. Instead of doing the
usual services, they take you to the vampire nest and attempt to
kill you.

OTHER: Kill Fire Giants (from CY Lee)

During the siege of Saradush. Go to northern end of the battlement
where Errard is (the mage in Mateo's quest). You will notice that
the militia is shooting arrows at some unseen Fire Giant. The Fire
Giant is located behind the tower and is NOT selectable as a
target. However, equip your men with missile weapons and set to
aggressive scripts and they will start shooting at the Fire Giant
(XP : 8000, instant re-spawning) and the best part is that the Fire
Giant would not attack your party members and there's no random
flamingballs from the sky (probably to avoid killing Errard). Leave
them there for unlimited xp.

Average : 8000 xp ( per kill ) every 20 sec. i.e. ~ 1.5 million
xp/hr

Note:
- Unlimited ammo missile weapons (eg. Firetooth, Azure Edge,
Gesen Bow, Sling of Everard, etc.) would be useful.
- Be sure to check on your men occasionally as they get fatigued
(after a couple days of shooting at some giant) and also to
level up (to avoid wasting excess xp)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. } } } } Gromnir (AR 5013)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- SEWERS

I'll assume you took the track into the sewers. Wherever you entered,
your goal is at the very top of the area, somewhat to the right of
center. (x 2000 y 150)

Of course, along the way, you have lots of monsters blocking your path.
There are no major treasures (just +2,+3 stuff), and certainly no
treasure chests.

You'll find your way blocked by a Secret Wall (x 2140 y 550), which also
needs to be lockpicked.

- UPPER SEWERS (AR 5007)

For getting through the sewers, everyone gets 3000 experience. There is
quite a bunch of treasure in these first two rooms. Only one of it is
really interesting (x 365 y 885):

Fflar's Scabbard (a component for Cespenar to make a better item)

The two doors to the southeast lead to the prison. There are a bunch of
enemies in there (mages, thieves and fighters) that can be pretty tough
if you aren't prepared for it. Also, in each of the cells are prisoners,
and each time you free one you get a Reputation +1 (which could be a good
or bad thing). There is a container on the wall of the lower passage:

20 Bullet +3

Also, beware of traps in this passage. In the top right cell (x 1600
y 1260) is a passage to the vampire area. You'll also meet a woman who
is escaping from Gromnir. She warns you to stay away, that Gromnir is
quite mad. Go to the vampire nest.

- VAMPIRES (AR 5006)

This is more or less where you would have appeared had you gone with the
vampire Harlots. Enter the cell to the left, and search the wall for
a secret passage. Open that to get to the upper hallway. There's
another vampire here. Go left and up into the next hallway. There are
three cells here, the first tells you that it is a grave that is missing
a skull, the second has a Rusted Amulet (x 480 y 730) and the third is
empty.

Go up the leftmost hallway, open the door. Here you'll find the Prison
Spirit, who isn't terribly happy about his lot in unlife. Anyway, about
where he was standing there is some treasure: (x 1330 y 325)

Skull
Random Item

Keep the skull for the moment. Open the secret (x 1175 y 300) on the
nearby wall and enter. There are two cells to each side of you, and
another hall in front of you. Ignore the cells, go forward and open the
next hallway door. The table here has some interesting arrows. The
first locked cell has some treasure.

Back to the shallow grave (x 365 y 665). The spirit appears again, and
gives you a Clue. Whatever. Place the skull and rusted amulet in the
grave container. This causes the spirit to rematerialize, mention how
great it would be if you had Elven Holy Water (hence why I recommended
buying it), so put some of that in the grave as well.

The spirit takes you to the one cell that you couldn't open, and opens
it. Everyone also gets 10,000 experience. Enter the cell and get the:

Bronze Ioun Stone (memorize extra 7th level spell, Cespenar also uses)

Back to (x 125 y 975) and exit.

- PRISON... AGAIN (AR 5007)

Back to the large room, now open the upper door (x 875 y 750). Kill the
monsters in here, and up to the next room. Kill the monsters here as
well. There are a couple of things of treasure in here (press TAB to
see them light up). Nothing major.

Open the top door (x 1620 y 420), and go through.

- GROMNIR'S CASTLE (AR 5001)

When you get here, there will be 5 bad guys waiting for you. These guys
are fairly powerful (not YOUR level, but who is?).

Battle Mage - 21,500 experience
2 Soldier - 12,000 exp each
Solder - 12,500 exp
Soldier - 12,300 exp

And many small treasures...

Once you're done here, go up the stairs to the next level.

Note: Be absolutely SURE to save it before going to fight Gromnir.
There is a bug in the script that can make it impossible to
complete the game, and if you get it you don't want to have to
start over, do you?

- GROMNIR (AR 5002)

Watch the little cutscene as Melissan and Gromnir argue about whether
you are a Bhaalspawn assassin, and so forth. You might notice something
missing in Gromnir... his sanity. They take her away, and Gromnir
notices you ("hah! good fun!"... in case you're wondering, one of the
regulars in the Interplay Message Boards was named "Gromnir" and that was
how he closed each of his messages... looks like Bioware is having a
little fun with their fans).

Anyway, time for battle. I'd take out his two mages first, then Gromnir,
then his soldier goons that appear from out of nowhere (although the one
with a Bow is a tempting target, isn't she?).

Gromnir - 22,500 experience
Lavendar Ioun Stone (+1 AC, +4 save vs. death)
Roranch's Horn (item for Cespenar to use)
Rogue Stone
5 Potions of Superior Healing
Full Plate +2
Ice Star +4 (1 to 4 extra cold damage)
1200 gold
Eler Had - 12,500 experience
Grandmaster's Armor (studded +6, works like Boots of Speed)

(everyone else has the same exp and items as the goons on the previous
level)

Melissan arrives after the battle, a little upset at the violence that
occurred here. She wants you to help get the people out of Saradush.
After all, you killed their best defender (Gromnir), it's the least you
could do... well, short of doing nothing anyway. The way to win, she
claims, is to defeat Yaga Shura, who is invincible. So, first you must
travel to the Forest of Mir and the Marching Mountains to discover how he
became so powerful in the first place. Agree to help, and she goes away.

To get directly out, just use the stairs that go Up.

When you're done in Saradush, use your Pocket Plane ability. Once there,
all you need to do is leave, and it gives you the option to go to the
Marching Mountains.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. } } } } Yaga Shura
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- NORTH FOREST (AR 6400)

As you first pop in here, you get a little dialogue explaining what you
are supposed to do here. There are also some soldiers who need to be
dispatched. They were busy slaughtering some poor merchants. The only
one you can really save is, coincidentally, the one with a name, Karthis
al-Hezzar. Ask him for a reward to get 4240 gold. Also ask him about
the area (there is a temple nearby) and you can also shop here.

Note: This is the first opportunity in the Expansion to head over to
the Watcher's Keep.

Go down and use the stones to cross the river. There were some Fire
Giants on this island. Continue to the right. Here there were many
Yaga Shura soldiers, and one mage. Besides the mage, they're all
complete wimps. Go up, fight through the Fire Giants and Officers.
Once they're dead, exit this area to the east. Head over to the Forest
of Mir.

- FOREST OF MIR (AR 5202)

We are on a road, walk up it. Gorion will appear and talk with you. He
is quite disappointed in the way you turned out, it would seem. He even
claims that you murdered him. With a 12 WIS you can point out that
Gorion would never say such things. He then zaps you with some magic.
(20 fire damage) Next he chews out your companions, Sarevok and Imoen
(if they're around). Again if you have 17 WIS you'll be able to say that
Gorion would not say such things. If you do have the 17 WIS option you
take no damage from his next spell. He punishes you again, this time
for 15 electric damage.

Next he tries to pick apart your romance (if you have one anyway), and
just to be cruel, he summons someone out of your loved one's past. This
person then says things designed to hurt your loved one deep down to
their soul. Big meanie. With a 17 WIS you can try to tell your loved
one that this isn't real. Gorion punishes you yet again, by knocking
everyone down (they even make the "dead" sounds, but are not dead).

Finally you get to resist his efforts. You get 5000 quest experience
and he summons some monsters to attack you.

Master Wraith - 30,500 experience

After any conversation with your romantic interest, enter the temple.
Here you'll find various undead running around. They want to destroy
you for some reason. Ah well. Not only do they have a Skeleton Cleric
but a Skeleton Mage as well (aren't those called... Liches?). Turn
Undead works well enough here.

Search the tile over to the left to find some treasure. (x 750 y 1250)

Go over to the right side, and search the tile that is propped up against
the wall: (x 1430 y 480)

Nymph's Tear (upgradeable by Cespenar)
other treasures...

Go up the stairs to find Nyalee. She is the one who raised Yaga Shura,
and taught him how to be invulnerable. However, she feels that he has
disrespected her (by literally stealing her heart) and wants your help
to kill him. It just works out that you also want him dead, doesn't it?
He is invulnerable because he keeps his heart outside of his body,
eternally bathed in flames. She asks you to find both their hearts and
bring them to her. Then she can douse the fire and make him mortal once
more. Ask where the hearts are and she'll tell you that they reside in
the mountains.

Time to go. Leave this area and go up to the Marching Mountains.

- MARCHING MOUNTAINS (AR 5200)

You start in the very bottom of this area, and the entrance to the cave
is in the top right. Go up along the path. You'll have to fight some
giants. Go right along the lava lake.

Here you'll find a party of... interesting Bhaalspawn. In short, they're
all tiny. How did Bhaal mate with a rabbit anyway?

Go back left, then down the path to (x 1260 y 1500). Here go up and to
the right. A Fire Giant along here (whom you should kill) is carrying
many non-Magical weaponry. Almost as if he's trying to tell you that
you'll need these to kill Magic Golems. Spooky.

Go up across the rocks to the cave (x 2150 y 300). Enter.

- MARCHING MOUNTAIN INTERIOR (AR 5201)

There are many Fire Giants in here, including the brand new Elite Fire
Giants (who have 250 HP and are worth 26,000 experience). Also, don't
walk on the lava, it hurts (a lot). Finally be sure to constantly be on
the lookout for traps, this place is covered with them.

The 2 side rooms aren't important just yet, so go up. As you go by you
will see 2 barriers to the sides. Keep going up. In the center of the
area is a great Machine (x 1930 y 1160). There are passages to the left
and right, with the blocked exit being up.

Go left. There will be a pool of lava here, with a container in the
center (x 1200 y 700). Oh, and it is completely surrounded by traps.
Search the container: (you'll take damage from the lava)

Girdle of Fire Giant Strength (STR set to 22)
Hammer Wardstone
other treasures...

When you search this, monsters are summoned to fight you, including the
brand new Fire Troll, which requires Acid or Ice to kill (once you knock
it down).

Head over to the right passage (which I found crawling with Fire Giants)
and do the same thing as in the previous passage to get:

Skull Wardstone
other treasures...

This time Golems are summoned at you, an Adamatite, Clay and Magic
Golem.

Head all the way back down to the beginning, enter the 2 side rooms
and click the Plate on the wall. This will open the 2 blocked passages.
Each of these is worth 5000 quest experience (for 10,000 overall).

Head up to the right side passage (x 1770 y 2100). There are all manner
of beasties in here. Search the container here:

Blood Wardstone
Psion's Blade +5 (immunity to Psionic attack)
other treasure...

This summons more monsters to fight you, 2 Bone Fiends and a Cleric.

Go across to the other passage. There are other beasties in here that
are just begging to be slaughtered. Search the container for:

Flame Wardstone
other treasures...

This summons up some fire elementals (and "Burning Men") for you to play
with.

We now have all the Wardstones, and can head up to the Machine in the
center. Click on it to open up the northern passage. Using the machine
gets you 20,000 quest experience points. Go up (x 2400 y 540) to the
next level.

- YAGA SHURA'S BEDROOM (AR 5204)

I probably don't need to keep reminding you, but keep searching for
traps. There's a trap just above the stairs. There are also some Fire
Giants there too. Once up the stairs, go left, when you see the lava,
go up and into the main room.

Search the container here (x 1000 y 1060) for some treasure.

Go right and fight Berenn, a giant cleric, and his Fire Giants.

Berenn - 40,500 experience
Balor's Claw (Cespenar can upgrade)
other treasures...

Tip: The fire giants, including Berenn, can’t get through the low
arches near the start. Draw them there and take them apart with
ranged weapons. (from Xar)

Go right. The treasure (minor) at (x 1750 y 1430) is trapped.

Continue right and fight the bad-guys here. Further right is another
treasure (minor) (x 2500 y 1800).

Go up to the Brazier at the top of this room (x 2075 y 1100). Click on
it to get Yaga Shura's Heart. Getting this item gains you 20,000 quest
experience points.

Go over to the right, and find the door that leads up (x 2900 y 1400).
In order to open this door, you must have the Strength of at least a
Fire Giant (STR 22). There are Fire Giant STR potions on the ground if
you need them. Open the door and enter.

You'll find a slave woman in here. Free her if you like (15,000 quest
experience) and ask her any questions that you have.

Just to the woman's left, on the wall is a TRAPPED container (x 3050
y 840):

Stone Golem Page (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
3047 Gold
other treasures...

Go left to find Yaga Shura's mighty bed. In the center of the bed is a
TRAPPED container (x 2500 y 670):

Bag of Plenty +1 (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
Yaga Shura's Journal
Beating Heart

Yaga Shura's journal reveals one important Clue, that he is under orders
from someone else. Interesting...

Go left to find and fight Imix, the Fire Elemental Prince (x 1620 y 450).
He's a pretty tough battle, requiring good magical weaponry to even hit.
He is standing pretty much right on top of some traps, which also makes
the battle more difficult.

Imix - 50,000 experience
Ravager +4 (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
Amulet of the Master Harper (+20% find traps, pick locks, +3 AC)

Time to go. Leave the Marching Mountains and head back to the Forest of
Mir.

- FOREST OF MIR (AR 5202)

Be ready for a fight here. Go up and talk to Nyalee, give her the two
hearts that you found. This is worth 20,000 quest experience. She'll be
restored, and she'll make Yaga Shura mortal again, just as she promised.
However, she begins to have second thoughts, and decides to attack you
anyway. She also summons a Nymph, and some Shambling Mounds to help.

Nyalee - 12,000 experience
minor treasures...
Shambling Mound - 16,000 experience

Time to find Yaga Shura himself. To the Siege Camp!

- SIEGE CAMP (AR 5203)

After a brief bit of text explaining the destruction of Saradush, and
that you can't find Yaga Shura anywhere, you get control. Be prepared
for a large battle, it's not far off. Go down and to the left, and some
peasants will be fleeing some archers. As you cross the bridge, Yaga
Shura and his mighty army rush towards you. Concentrate all fire on
Yaga himself, as his army will keep on coming until you kill him.

Yaga Shura can be found in camp at (x 1850 y 1570). Once you wound him,
he flees in terror, and returns a moment later with better troops. Again
concentrate on Yaga himself.

Yaga Shura - 150 HP -5 AC -5 THAC0
30,000 experience
Runehammer +4 (upgradeable by Cespenar)
Shuruppak's Plate (AC of -2, +1 DEX, 20% fire res.)
Shield of the Order +4

As soon as Yaga is dead, the Solar will summon you back to your Pocket
Plane for your continuing education...

(AR 4500)

The Solar summons forth your mother who explains how you came to be. She
gave birth to you, son/daughter of Bhaal with the intention of
sacrificing you on an altar to restore Bhaal after his death. Gorion
appeared and stopped this from occurring. Gorion's disruption of the
ceremony had some unintended consequences... like the other Bhaalspawn
getting free as well.

When the Solar talks to you again, if you are Good say these lines:
(Whether you say Good or Evil things affects your ending)

"I feel sorry for my mother. Gorion did what he had to." &
"Yes, there is a debt. I could have just as easily have had his life,
and he mine."

If you wish to get the Evil ending, just say any line that sounds
particularly evil (as with anything, it is easier to be evil than good).

For this you get 40,000 quest experience and are thrown back out to the
army camp...

(AR 5203)

Melissan greets you when you return. She tells you that all the
Bhaalspawn in the city were destroyed, and that she and a few peasants
were the only ones who could escape. She has some information for you
about the other Bhaalspawn who were allied with Yaga Shura: Illasera,
whom you already killed, Abazigal and Sendai. She wants you to go
after these guys. She also shows you a new place you can go for help,
Amkethran (ruled by her ally Balthazar).

Viconia Romance Note:

I don't normally take asides for romances, but this one is fairly
major. You can help change Viconia's Alignment here. After
Melissan leaves, Viconia will comment on the carnage of the battle.
If you agree with her that this is quite impressive, she becomes LESS
likely to change alignment.

Tell her that this is horrible.

Then, to get her to switch, say one of these lines:

"Power doesn't automatically equal death and destruction, Viconia.
This isn't me." OR

"Has killing *ever* pleased me? What are you thinking?!" OR

"All this killing is wrong, Viconia. And the fact it's happening
because of me is worse!"

Be sure to get the treasures from Yaga Shura before continuing onward.

There are 2 containers of minor treasure in this area. (x 650 y 1630) &
(x 2350 y 1550)

Return to the Pocket Plane.

(AR 4500)

Time for the second challenge. Head over to the left, to the passage
that the Solar recently opened. (x 1330 y 1660) Here is where you face
down what you would have been had Gorion taken Sarevok over you. And
of course, this incarnation of you doesn't care much for you, and
attacks.

Dark Version of You - 183 HP 6 AC 1 THAC0 4 Attacks

Once he and his goons are defeated, the place is altered to fit your
alignment. You get 30,000 experience, everyone else gets 25,000 quest
experience.

Return to the real world, then leave this area and head to the Oasis.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. } } } } Amkethran
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- OASIS (AR 6300)

Hope you're ready for a battle, because you're getting one really quick.
The Tethyrians here have apparently decided that you are guilty of
destroying Saradush and must be killed. This army consists of many
pikemen, archers, battlemages and good clerics.

Search the general's body after the battle:

The Answerer +4 (slow, but powerful long sword)
Long Sword +3
Full Plate +2
Note from Tethyr's Monarch

The other troops have various minor treasures (like a Composite Long
Bow +3). There are also 3 containers here with minor treasures (and you
can see the bounty notice they put out on you!). (x 1580 y 350) has the
best treasure.

Go across to the other side of the Oasis, and out.

- AMKETHRAN (AR 5500)

Walk up the path, and you will get an immediate audience with Balthazar
the head of the city. He'll give you directions to several new areas
(where you might find some Bhaalspawn) then leaves you alone. There is
no sign of Melissan.

Beyond the subquests here, nothing to see at the moment. Pick one of
the 2 new areas to go to, and go there.

Quests:
-------

QUEST: The Mayor's Daughter

Asana - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 2340 y 1256)

A short time after you arrive, the Mayor's Daughter will have her
life threatened by some mercenaries. The Mayor asks you to help
out in this matter. Agree to help out. Talk to one of the
mercenaries. You can, if you want, offer to repay what she stole,
however, the merc's want far more than she actually took, 5000
gold. With a Charisma over 16 your can convince them to take 3000.
Of course, you could just fight them.

Once she's safe, talk to the mayor again to get your reward:

Montolio's Cloak (upgradeable by Cespenar)
500 gold
Reputation +1
5000 quest experience

QUEST: Saemon Havarian ... again

Saemon - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 2600 y 1916)

The local mercenaries are quite upset at Saemon for stealing their
items and selling them on the black market. When you get near,
Saemon manages to get them to believe that you somehow have their
items, such that they attack you. Well, at least you know Saemon
hasn't changed any.

Head over to the Smuggler's Cave and enter. There you will find
the Monks busting up the Smuggling operation. They spot you and
tell you to beat it. Time to take out the trash. Fight them.

Monks - 10,000 exp each

In the back of this cave are 4 chests, 2 of which are trapped.
They have minor treasures.

Within a day, the smugglers will be gone.

Special Items from the Smugglers: (from Dave Loveland)

Once the monks are dead, Carras will come up and talk to you.
Select dialogue options 2,1,2 to get into the buy screen. You
will be able to purchase Enkidu's Full Plate, Gargoyle Boots, and
K'logarath (throwing axe). If you leave the buy screen those
items will disappear, you will not be able to buy them if you
talk to Carras again. Also, if you don't follow the dialogue
into the buy screen when he first comes up and talks to you,
those items will not be available. The smugglers will disappear
if you leave the cave and come back in.

This is also the best place in the game to generate gold. The
first time that you go into the buy screen they will pay you much
more than normal for items (4800 for a full plate mail instead of
1500, etc.).

QUEST: The Cleric of Waukeen and the Monk

Cleric - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 2974 y 2417)

Near the temple, a Cleric will argue with a Monk. He wants the
monks to care for the town again, and the monk points out that
Balthazar cares nothing for these people. A fight ensues. Kill
the monk. A mage will teleport in to chide you about this, but
they don't seem to care too much.

The cleric thanks you. There is a standard reward here:

Oaken Ring (Cespenar can upgrade)
2000 quest experience

You can also donate 1000 gold to him for a slightly better reward:

Oaken Ring
3000 quest experience
Reputation +1

QUEST: Marlowe

Tavern - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 2730 y 1380)
Marlowe's Home - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 3650 y 430)
Cave of the Dead - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 1800 y 700)

When you enter the tavern, the man Marlowe will come up to you and
ask for help. He won't talk more of it here, and tells you to meet
him at his home at the cliff. To get up there, you must go through
the house to the right of the tavern, up the ladder, then across
the roofs.

Once inside, listen to what Marlowe has to say. A powerful lich
by the name of Vongoethe wanted to steal the soul of his daughter,
so he had to beat a hasty retreat from whence he came. However,
this didn't stop the lich who sapped her soul anyway. The lich is
in this town's graveyard, which the monks sealed. He says that
he'll have a guard let you in. Agree to his proposal.

Head out, get back to the main level and head over to the Cave of
the Dead. You can talk to the Boy here for some info on the
situation. When you're ready talk to the guard and have him open
up the sealed cave.

Walk forward and the lich appears. Talk to him. He tells you that
he and Marlowe had a deal, Marlowe would get 20 years of fortune
and whatnot in exchange for his immortal soul. When the 20 years
was up, he refused to give up his soul and fled. The lich
eventually tracked him down and swiped his daughter's soul to get
him to pay up. At this point you can either fight him, or make
a deal. You go bring Marlowe here, and the lich will give up the
girl's soul.

Note: If you fight him before he gives you the soul, the girl
WILL die.

Head back to Marlowe. You may as well tell him the truth about
this one, he comes quite willingly. You and Marlowe are taken back
to the Lich, and Marlowe gives up the ghost. (so to speak) You
are given possession of the girl's soul. Once you have her soul,
you can become as hostile as you wanna-be with the lich.

Vongoethe - 25,000 experience

If you fought the battle, you can give Marlowe the soul for 15,000
quest experience and a Reputation +1. Or you can keep it yourself
for a reputation -2 and 6000 quest experience.

OTHER: The Complete Pantaloons

Smithy - Amkethran (AR 5500, x 3070 y 860)

Note: To enter the smithy, you must go through the house to the
right of the tavern, up the ladder, then over.

You may have noticed the various metallic pantaloons in the
Baldur's Gate games, well they finally have some payoff. Take all
3 pairs (the Golden, Silver and Bronze pantaloons) over to the
smithy here and talk to Kerrick. He'll use these to construct one
of the most interesting Easter Eggs in the game.

Here's where you get the items: Bronze Pantalettes are in
Abazigal's Lair, you must send the Petrified Adventurers out to
retrieve the Eyestalk. Silver Pantaloons are a reward for the
Buried Alive quest back in the Graveyard (hope you got them) and
the Gold Pantaloons were in the Friendly Arm Inn back in the
original Baldur's Gate. (which means you would have had to import
a party that carried the pantaloons)

Having trouble finding the Pantaloons? Here are the three item
codes for them:

misc47 misc5o misccb

When he's done making the item, you get:

Big Metal Rod (gun)
Pulse Ammunition
Frag Grenade
Scorcher Ammunition
Big Metal Unit

The BMU is usable by anyone, and gives an astonishing series of
bonuses, not the least of which is the fact that you suddenly look
like an Adamantite Golem. As such, there are many places that you
can't walk in it because it is simply too large to fit.

Note: Once Kerrick finishes this, he leaves town forever.

OTHER: Archery Practice

Near the lower part of the area, archers are taking some needed
target practice... on monsters that are continually summoned up
just to be killed. Talk to the captain and get into a fight. The
only thing of importance you get out of this is the:

Darkfire Bow +4 (Cespenar can upgrade)

With thanks to Dave Loveland.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.1 } } } } Sendai (AR 6100)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- WOODSMAN

Go up and talk to the "woodsman." Ask him about the Bhaalspawn named
Sendai, and he'll plead ignorance. He did, however, see some "funny"
looking elves in the southwest of this area and asks that you
investigate.

Enter the cabin.

(AR 6111)

Loot this place! There are no traps, although some of the 5 containers
in here are locked. There are lots of minor treasures, and one more
notable treasure: (x 520 y 340)

Rune of Clangeddin (Upgradeable by Cespenar)

Exit.

(AR 6100)

If you do wander over to the southwest part of this area, you will be
attacked by Umber Hulks and Drow as well as a Hive Mother (Beholder).

Hive Mother - 50,000 experience
Drow (2) - 5000 experience
Umber Hulk Elder - 18,000 experience

Head up and to the right to find the Graves (x 2000 y 160). Click on
these, then head back to the Woodsman. Ask him about the graves. (He'll
also try to set up another ambush around the grave for you) Keep
pestering him and he'll turn into a Drow and attack you (with
reinforcements, of course).

When these Drow are dispatched, the hidden entrance to Sendai's lair
appears. This is worth 10,000 quest experience points.

If you head up to the gravesite now, you will get ambushed by more Drow.

Go up to Sendai's Entrance, just left of the graves (x 1500 y 100).

- MONSTER PASSAGE (AR 6101)

This area is mostly just a long running battle against Myconids, Spore
Colonies, Spiders and Umber Hulks.

Once at the platform (x 2650 y 1000) you have 3 choices on where to go
next, two passages to the left and one above you. You'll need a key for
the 2 left passages. Enter the upper passage first (x 2920 y 730).

(AR 6109)

Time for a nice battle against more Drow... and a Drow Kensai no less!

Thelynn'ss - 15,000 experience
Amulet of Cheetah Speed (Speed +2, Improved Haste 1/day)
Drow Guard's Key

Go back. (and see what Sendai is up to... which is worth 5000 quest
experience)

(AR 6101)

We can now open both of the doors to the left. Each of the doors will
lead us where we need to go. The upper left door leads you through a
spider infested area, the other through a slave infested area. Since
there are no treasures worth mentioning in either one, I prefer to take
the lower, slave passage.

(AR 6102)

As you enter here, you are attacked by Derro slaves (they look like
dwarves). Fight your way along the passage. As you go along, more
monsters will be summoned, possibly even behind you (annoying if you have
a weak archer back there). Just keep moving until you get to kill the
Slavemaster. As long as the Slavemaster is alive, more monsters will
continually be summoned.

Go to the end of the passage, and exit to the next area (x 2500 y 1550).

- INNER PASSAGE (AR 6104)

Head out to the center platform. We're going to have to go left first.
Fight your way through the Drow there, to get to the door beyond (x 950
y 770). Before entering, be sure you are ready for a battle with a Lich.

(AR 6110)

Beware of traps between you and the Lich.

Yep, there's a battle with a Lich in here, all right. You can summon
things without him seeing you, if you don't move. I just attacked him
with a Planetar and that worked pretty well. In another game, my main
character was a cleric of high enough level that her turn undead blew
the lich to pieces.

Odamaron - 22,000 experience
Drow Wardstone
Heart of the Damned (Cespenar can upgrade)
Eye of Tyr (Cespenar can upgrade)

There is a trapped container near the stairs (x 800 y 100):

Skull of the Lich (Cespenar can upgrade)
other treasures...

The other 2 containers in here have minor treasures. Exit. (again you
get to see what Sendai is up to. This is worth another 5000 quest exp)

(AR 6104)

Go back to the center, then up. (there may be some Drow on the center
platform) Fight through the Umber Hulks here to get to the doorway
beyond (x 2525 y 600). This door is opened by the Drow Wardstone that
we got from the Lich. Whenever you're ready for a fairly large, battle,
enter the door.

(AR 6105)

Diaytha confronts you here, and opens the door to the right. Her idea
is that you go over there and get killed by the mighty Ogremoch, an
Earth Elemental Prince. Concentrate your attack on Ogremoch as he is
quite mighty. Nothing tricky here, just straight-out melee.

Ogremoch 220 HP -7 AC 2 THAC0 3 Attacks
56,000 experience

Once that is taken care of, go over to the room on the left to fight
Diaytha and her goon squad (vampire, beholder, etc). I'd prioritize this
one a little, take out Diaytha and the Beholder first, then the Vampire,
then the rest.

Diaytha - 14,000 experience
Darksteel Shield +4 (10% fire, cold, acid, poison res.)

When you're done, go through the main doors.

(AR 6106)

As you come through, Captain Egeissag wants to kill you, but is afraid
that Sendai will take credit for his actions. To remedy this, he has
a suggestion for you: The two of you fight alone in the pit, winner
take all, loser dies. Sounds like fun. (The alternative is to simply
fight everyone in here) If you have a good Fighter type of character,
this will be easily winnable. If you are a mage, you may want to
reconsider. The Spectator Beholder casts a Geas such that whoever loses,
all his allies die as well.

Captain Egeissag - 20,000 experience
Bowstring of Gond (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
other treasures...

After the battle Spectator (the very same Spectator you met in the
Sahuagin city) is very amused by how he got out of the service of the
dopey drow. You could ask to fight him as well, but he'd much rather
not fight you. And with that, he's gone.

(a brief cutscene follows where Sendai sends out the last of her forces,
the Mindflayer. This is worth 5000 quest experience)

Once you're ready, on to the next room.

(AR 6107)

Time for some Mind Flayer madness. If you have anyone with the Psion's
Blade, then you are going to have one easy time in here. Just have them
rush in and slaughter everything. (Psion's Blade was in the Marching
Mountain so you SHOULD have it) In fact, I gave the Psion's Blade to
Sarevok and had him and him alone fight the battle.

The small pool in here (x 600 y 600) has:

Liquid Mercury (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
other treasures...

The two doors to the right have Vampiric Illithids in them (14,000 exp).

Open the upper door. Go through the passage, and the next door into the
next room. More Mind Flayers and an Umber Hulk. Kill them.

When you feel up to taking on Sendai, go up to the last door and go
through.

- SENDAI (AR 6108)

Although you have quite mercilessly slaughtered her army, Sendai isn't
about to let that faze her. In fact, she used that time to prepare to
fight you. She creates 7 statues of herself (with either 122 or 130
hit points) and vanishes. They are of diverse Classes (1 Cleric, 2
Fighter, 1 Thief, 1 Fighter/Thief, 1 Mage, 1 Mage/Cleric). The statues
can be defeated only one at a time. Also, Drow will be coming in from
the entrance. I'd summon up some high level monsters to guard the
entrance, then use your party to slaughter the statues. Once the statues
are defeated, Sendai reappears and should be killed on sight.

Sendai 182 HP 8 AC 8 THAC0 1 Attack
18,000 experience
Wong Fei's Ioun Stone (+1 AC, +15 HP, Regeneration)
Studded Leather Armor of Thorns +6 (1d4 damage to attacker)
Wand of Cursing
other treasures...

Sendai is a very dangerous Cleric/Mage, you will need to keep removing
any protections that she puts on herself. I find Khelben's Warding Whip
works well for this purpose. Once she has no protections, she is weak
as a kitten. You get 40,000 quest experience for killing her.

Once she's dead, you are drawn into another Solar Dream. The Solar wants
you to wonder about the present, what is your role in this prophecy? She
summons a clone of yourself, who is irritated to be here. (10,000 quest
experience) There is only one GOOD thing to say here, the rest are evil.
Good: (this has to do with Good-Evil choices only)

"I would prefer to find a way to avoid my destiny, if I could."

The dream-you then proceeds to explain the prophecy to you (the one
that says Faerun will be ravaged by the Bhaalspawn) saying that you are
the one set out to prevent the destruction, not to cause it. At this
point there are 2 Good things to say (and the rest are Evil):

Sorta Good: "If I exist to stop the prophecy instead of making it true,
then so be it."
Really Good: "That is a relief...I had no desire to cause the
destruction the prophecy tells of."

This part ends, and the Solar asks what you will do now. More good
answers:

Sorta Good: "The quicker I get this 'destiny' over with, the quicker I
can start the rest of my life."
Really Good: "I will prevent the destruction of the land because it is
the right thing to do."

You get 10,000 quest experience, and the Solar opens another path in your
Pocket Plane for yet another challenge. Go to your pocket plane...

- POCKET PLANE CHALLENGE NUMBER 3 (AR 4500)

Once you've rested up, head down the next path (x 1700 y 2000). Here you
meet with your lost innocence. He wants you to forget your recent
troubles and become innocent once more. Of course, there isn't even the
possibility of doing such a thing. Your innocence then becomes the
Slayer and attacks you. It is worth 25,000 exp to kill, plus you get
another 25,000 quest experience for completing the challenge (the main
character gets 30,000 quest experience).

Return to the real world, then take the portal out of Sendai's Lair.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 } } } } Abazigal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- DRACONIS (AR 6000)

Prepare for a battle. Summon anything you want, protection spells, the
works. I'd also go with a True Sight spell, in case a certain enemy
casts Invisibility... repeatedly. You'll be fighting a mage/dragon if
that helps. You want enough Summoned creatures to overwhelm someone
very quickly... (I had a Planetar, an Elemental Prince and 2 Mordenkainen
Swords)

Walk forward to find Draconis. He does not seem terribly happy to see
you. He will taunt you for a bit, then attacks. He is a mage of fairly
high level, so expect Time Stops and all manner of Protections. When he
cast Protection from Magic weapons, I simply switched over to the
non-Magic weapons I got for dealing with Magical Golems, and that worked
just fine. When he goes invisible, hit him with a Remove Magic.

Draconis 190 HP -5 AC 4 THAC0 3 Attacks

When his human form is defeated, he tells you that it isn't so easy to
kill him and becomes a Dragon.

Dragon Draconis 190 HP -10 AC -4 THAC0 3 Attacks
61,000 experience
Draconis's Head (used to open the door)
Tzu Zan's Bracers (+1 AC, +15 HP)

His Dragon form is quite a bit tougher. First he becomes Invisible at
the drop of a hat, making it impossible to dispel his weapon's
protections without first getting rid of the Invisibility (hence the
True Sight earlier). He knocks your guys unconscious a LOT, which
complicates matters. He'll even summon Invisible Stalkers to help out.
I cast a Time Stop to get rid of his spell protections (Remove Magic,
Khelben's Warding Whip, Breach, etc.), then just hit him a lot with
fighters. Whenever my guys got low on HP I used Potions of Superior
Healing.

My summoned monsters didn't last long against the dragon, but they'd
gotten rid of his human form so quickly that it helped a lot.

With Draconis dead, you can now enter the Enclave. (You need his Head
to enter)

- ENCLAVE (AR 6001)

There's a trap right near the entrance here.

When you enter, Ekim Cyre yells out for help, then locks down the
Enclave. He is in a bit of a panic that Draconis is dead. Then he will
attack. Did I mention that he is a Werewyvern?

Ekim Cyre - 15,000 experience
Empty Breath Potion Flask (take it)
Stone to Flesh scroll

You'll notice several pools around, only two of these can be used at the
moment, the other two require that you fill the Empty Breath Potion
Flask. Go to the far left pool and click it twice to dive into it.
(x 290 y 600)

(AR 6008)

This little area is crawling in Frost Salamanders. Once they're dead,
go down and through the door.

(AR 6012)

This little library is home to a couple of Bone Fiends. They need some
re-education on the true nature of bones! (ie dead and buried) There
are 3 containers in here, the dresser, the table and the TRAPPED
bookcase. They contain mostly minor treasures (but another Stone to
Flesh scroll).

Click the pool here to fill it with ... well Breath. It becomes a
Breath Potion. Go back to the previous area.

Note: You never need to drink this potion, merely having it is enough.

(AR 6008)

Click on the pool here to get back to the beginning.

(AR 6001)

Go over to the far right pool (x 950 y 750) and dive into it.

(AR 6002)

This is a prison level, of sorts, and its guards are Kuo-Toas. Kill them
all. Go left, kill them there, then go up and kill them there too. To
the left are some Water Elementals (and an Olhydra, which must be their
leader, it's worth 27,000 experience). Go over to the right.

Kill the guard, then lockpick (or bash, or Knock) the jaildoor to talk to
the Monk inside. He was sent here on a secret mission for Balthazar.
He is close to death, so he wants to help you with what he has:

Rope (yay)

Also, he tells you about a Dragon that guards Abazigal. This dragon is
being compelled to serve Abazigal. Therefore you must find the Scroll
that will release her from her service. He won't reveal what his secret
mission was... sounds suspicious.

Be sure to search him later for:

Hindo's Hand (Upgradeable by Cespenar)

Go left then back down. There will be a new door opened here (x 630
y 820) that takes you back to the beginning. Take it.

(AR 6001)

Take the top middle pool this time (x 570 y 640)

(AR 6003)

You're going to have to fight through a LOT of "eyes." They're fairly
annoying, but not terribly deadly. Go left, then up to find Lycanth the
Mad. (x 530 y 700) Ask him about the Scroll of Reversal, then explain to
him what it is and what it does. He does, in fact, have such an item,
but he wants you to work for it. Seems that he has taken a fancy to the
eyestalk of a Gauth Beholder and wants you to go get it for him. (you
could just kill the mage for the Scroll, but that's no fun) Agree to
this. Tell him that this is a bit beneath you and he suggests
subcontracting this out to the three petrified adventurers.

Since the secret wall to his lab is barred, you'll need to find another
way in. Use the nearby pool (x 460 y 800) to enter the lab. Search
the Right Table for:

Juggernaut Golem Page (Cespenar can upgrade)
Stone to Flesh scroll

Go down and open the "secret" wall. Use the Stone to Flesh scrolls
(that you've been getting throughout this dungeon) to bring the
"adventurers" back to life. Next you must convince them to take up the
quest to get the Eyestalk. This isn't terribly difficult, just convince
them that this is to Save the World and they'll even do it for free....

They'll return several days later and a very amusing cutscene unfolds.
("Bondari reloads" refers, of course, to the habit of players to try
doing something stupid, then reloading and doing the smart thing... The
designers seem to be having fun with the gaming public) They'll give
you the Eyestalk and...

Bronze Pantalettes (yay!)

Go up to the Mad Mage and give him the Eyestalk to get the Scroll of
Reversal. This gets you 30,000 quest experience.

Note: Clicking on the Eggs releases several Eye monsters.

Head down, and just below where the adventurers were, take that pool
(x 670 y 1170).

(AR 6004)

Head over to the left to find the Dragon. It asks for you to free it
with your Reversal Scroll. In exchange, it will give you the Wardstone
which will allow you to pass. This gets you 10,000 quest experience.

Alternatively: You could attack the Dragon.

Fll'Yissetat 280 HP -8 AC -6 THAC0 5 attacks
60,000 experience
Ring of Improved Invisibility
Abazigal's Wardstone

Or you could free it, THEN kill it. (Amusingly, one
hit with the Ravager Halberd and it died to a 10%
vorpal effect)

When you're ready, go further left and enter Abazigal's Lair.

- ABAZIGAL (AR 6005)

Before moving forward, prepare for a big battle against a Dragon.
Summon. Protective Magic. You know the drill.

You'll have to battle your way through some Frost Salamanders before you
get to the Dragon. You'll find Abazigal in the center of this area,
looking a little blue around the gills. Again, like his son Draconis,
when you defeat his human form, his Dragon form emerges.

You MUST defeat his dragon form quickly and efficiently as he can Heal
himself fully. Not sure why, but I found him easier than Draconis
outside. Again I had the Planetar, 2 Mordenkain Swords and an Elemental
Prince (who didn't get blown away by the Dragon wing flap). And again
I used time stop to remove any protections (then I just attacked him
while time was stopped... hey free damage).

Abazigal 290 HP -12 AC -8 THAC0 3 Attacks
Gram the Sword of Grief +5 (Upgradeable by Cespenar)
Flail Head (Electric, Upgradeable by Cespenar)
Blue Dragon Scales (Upgradeable by Cespenar)

When he dies, he tells you that your victory will be short lived...
Defeating him is worth 40,000 quest experience.

When you have defeated both Sendai and Abazigal then you get to see the
cutscene of Balthazar betraying Melissan and ordering her death. (this is
worth 4000 quest experience)

Next, it cuts away to another Solar dream. She tells you that you near
the end of your journey. The following responses are GOOD:

Really Good: "I only hope I will be able to hold onto what is good and
righteous."
Pretty Good: "Then any help you could provide would be appreciated."

She then tells you that the 5 most powerful Bhaalspawn gathered together
to form the Five. They plotted the Doom of their lesser siblings. She
then summons forth Yaga Shura to explain this to you. He tells you that
they plotted to rule the world and resurrect their father, Bhaal. Time
for you to respond with what you think:

Good: "It means that their plan is defeated...Bhaal will remain where
he is: dead!"

He tells you that you have missed the most powerful of the five:
Balthazar.

Good: "I'll just have to stop Balthazar and Bhaal, too, if it comes to
that."
Really Good: "If I can kill Balthazar before he raises Bhaal, I'd
prefer not to deal with my so-called 'father' at all."

When this is done you get 10,000 quest experience.

Leave via the big blue portal to the left. As you reach the outside,
Elminster appears. He tells you that you have grown so powerful, even
he wouldn't take you on. Sweet. Anyway he also will advise you on who
to go see to get into Balthazar's lair. You are to find and talk to
Saemon Havarian again. (Or if you killed him, Zakfee Rafeya)

Head back to your Pocket Dimension.

- CHALLENGE FOUR (AR 4500)

Head over to the right to take the 4th challenge (x 2700 y 1700). Here
you meet up with Cyric, who teleports your party away. He asks you if
you recognize who he is, and depending on your WISDOM, you will recognize
him as the current God of Murder (13 WIS min). He explains the situation
as it stands among the godhood, and how he is gauging your threat to
his station. He finishes by deciding to test you with some goons
fighting you.

Each of his "Favored" is worth 25,000 experience.

Once the challenge is completed, you get 30,000 quest experience while
your party each gets 25,000 quest experience.

Leave the Pocket dimension and go back to Amkethran.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. } } } } Balthazar
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- BACK TO AMKETHRAN (AR 5500)

Any mercenaries you find here will be hostile. Head up to the Smuggler's
Cave (x 2800 y 700).

(AR 5504)

Here you'll find Saemon Havarian yet again (unless you managed to kill
him). All his smuggling buddies have been slaughtered, thus giving
Saemon some better perspective on life. He has a proposal for you, one
that will get you in to see Balthazar. (Or if you prefer, you can
refuse and ask for the alternative route that leads through the Cave of
the Dead... you'll have to get the key for this one from Faheed) Agree
to go with Saemon and the dialogue ends. Talk to him again when you are
ready to proceed.

Talk to Saemon again and agree to his proposal...

(AR 5500)

Saemon gets you inside the gates, the rest is up to you. You'll have to
fight through some monks immediately. Head inside (x 1450 y 400).

(AR 5505)

This is Balthazar's throne room, so head up to his throne. Balthazar
will appear and explain a few things to you. For starters, it was
Melissan herself who created the Five, the group of powerful Bhaalspawn.
Despite what you saw in that cutscene, he talks about her as though she
is still alive. Also, he plans on exterminating all Bhaalspawn, so
you're going to have to defend yourself.

Balthazar 280 HP -10 AC -5 THAC0 5 Attacks Monk
40,000 experience

Although everyone says that Balthazar is the most powerful of the Five,
I found this battle pretty easy... it's almost a straight out melee
fight as he has no good mage with him.

Note: Just like the Demogorgon, Balthazar is "immune" to Time Stop.

Finding Balthazar to be too easy? Try David Gaider's (a senior
designer at Bioware) more difficult version:

http://www.baldurdash.org/ToB/TOBtweaksandcheats.html

When he's dead you get 40,000 quest experience and another Solar Dream.

The Solar tells you that you have beaten the Five (Melissan is not a
child of Bhaal) but that Bhaal has not reawakened. Melissan is summoned
forth and it soon becomes obvious why she has been doing what she has
been doing... by destroying Bhaalspawn she can step in and fill the void
of power, thus becoming a Goddess. She explains all of her recent
wheelings and dealings for quite a while before you get to respond. Again
there are Good things to say and Evil things to say.

Good: "I'll stop you, Melissan. You won't get away with this."

She says that she controls most of the Abyss, and wonders if you have the
guts to face her there. Well... duh.

Really Good: "I'd confront your kind of evil wherever I had to go...
and I will win."
Good: "I will never let you get away with this! Someone has to stop
you!"

When the dream ends everyone gets 10,000 quest experience. Go to your
Pocket Plane.

- THE FINAL CHALLENGE (AR 4500)

Head up and right to the final challenge (x 2650 y 1050). Here you will
meet up with the Ravager, a great big demon from the depths of your own
soul.

Ravager 534 HP -6 AC -6 THAC0 5 Attacks
50,000 experience

The Ravager will summon several Bone Blades (like Mordenkainen's Swords)
to attack you. The Ravager also has a great deal of weapon and magic
resistances.

100% to fire, electricity, cold and acid
90% to magic
50% to magical cold
75% to magical fire
75% to all weapon types
Immune to Time Stop (if you cast it, he won't be stopped)

I used some Mordenkainen's Swords to distract the Ravager, after all, he
can't hurt the sword. This allowed me to more or less get a free shot
at attacking him. Problems occur when he Dominates your people, or puts
them to sleep. Since he has a LOT of HP you need to hit him a LOT, so
I would also suggest Improved Haste and any of your new Attack abilities.
Luckily he doesn't use any protection from magical weapons spells.

Once he is dead, rest up, and prepare to enter the Throne of Bhaal. You
can't come back to the Pocket Plane, so make sure that everything is
finished (such as all of Cespenar's items being made, proper spells
memorized and whatnot).

Cast any protection spells you can, then when you're ready, go on through
the gates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. } } } } Throne of Bhaal (AR 6200)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walkthrough:
------------

- MELISSAN

Melissan talks to you here, but nothing important is said. The result
is a battle. You need to knock off about 200 HP to get her to talk to
you again. She'll say that she can't waste time with you. She goes into
the center to gather more Essence of Bhaal. This is your chance. Go
over to the Mana Pool to the left (x 600 y 1400). Here you must defeat
the guardians (Air Elementals). Once they're dead, click the Pool.
This cuts Melissan from her source of Essence, causing her to attack you
once more.

Concentrate all attacks on Melissan and she won't last too long. When
she is defeated, all her monsters go with her. She needs more essence
so goes back to the center. Heal everyone, cast more summons/protections
then head over to the right pool (x 2000 y 1400) to take on Cryonax the
Prince of Ice Elementals.

Again when her pool is cut off, she reappears and attacks you yet again.
This time she summons up some Slayer Shadows, which are pretty neat.
She'll even teleport away leaving you with this mess. Defeat her again
and she'll do the same thing with the pools. Again, restore your party,
then head up to the last pool (x 1950 y 450) to fight its guardians.
This battle is the hardest in this level so far, having the awesomely
powerful Fallen Solar as well as Mariliths, Succubus and Alu Fiends.
Try to draw just a few of the monsters out and defeat them separately.
You'll probably want to concentrate your fire on the Fallen Solar as he
is the most powerful. Cut off the pool to get to the Final Battle.

After the nastiness of the previous pool battle, whacking Melissan here
is practically easy. When you get her down enough, the Solar reappears
and tells her that it's all over. You've won...

You get to make the choice of whether to become a God or whether to give
up the power and become a mortal. This is where all that Good and Evil
comes into play as it affects what type of ending you get.

Ending 1: Become a Good god.
Ending 2: Become an Evil god.
Ending 3: Don't become a god at all.

Sit back and enjoy the end of the Baldur's Gate Saga.

===============================================================================
{ { { { { FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS } } } } }
===============================================================================

Q: In the spell descriptions it lists durations in terms of "Rounds" and
"Turns." What are these?

A: A round is 6 seconds long. When the game says you get "2 1/2" attacks
per round, it means you get that many attacks every 6 seconds. A Turn is
10 Rounds long, or 60 seconds (1 Minute).

Q: What is Imoen's Belt for?

A: It prevents her from getting killed. It is used to prevent the game from
going nowhere as she needs to survive the first dungeon. After that
it isn't needed for plot purposes, and is taken away. As near as I can
tell, it makes her immune to the following:

Slay (& Instant Death magic)
Charm
Panic
Berserk
Sleep
Hold Person
Petrification
Poison
Stun
Polymorph

Q: I can't get Find Familiar to work. It keeps saying "FF must be cast by
the Protagonist". What's wrong? How can I get it to work?

A: The Protagonist is the main character. In the Single Player Game it is
whoever you created yourself, while in the Multiplayer it is whoever is
in the First slot. If this character CANNOT cast magic, then they can't
Find a Familiar. Only the Protagonist can find a Familiar. So, if your
Protagonist can't cast magic, you won't get a Familiar in your game.

Even if you start with a Fighter, you can always Dual Class over to a
Mage later and THEN cast Find Familiar. Works just the same.

Q: When I fight an enemy, it says that my weapon is "ineffective". How
then can I kill anything?

A: Two reasons your weapon can be ineffective: One, that monster requires
a magical weapon of certain magnitude to hit (say a +1 weapon), or Two,
they have Magical Defenses around them (such as Protection from Normal
Weapons). In the first case you need to find a better weapon, or try
casting spells. In the second, you have to lower their defenses first,
try casting the Breach spell. (Mage Lvl5)

Also, any monster that has 100% resistance to a type of weapon will
result in a "weapon ineffective" notice. Clay Golems are a good example
of this, as they can't be hurt by blades.

Q: I've messed up the Drow city (they won't let me in, etc.), how can I
get out of the Underdark?

A: 2 ways: 1.) After talking to Adalon and taking the form of a Drow, talk
to the Drow guards in the Kuo-Toa dungeon. If you have high charisma, you
can convince them that you are joining the war topside, and they let you
out. 2.) Kill Adalon and loot her corpse. (answer from Khadgar)

Q: Where is Edwin? I searched the Shadow Thieves Guild, but couldn't find
him!

A: You have to talk to Renal Bloodscalp on the second floor of the Shadow
Thieves Guild. Then in the course of doing his quests you will run into
Edwin. This is the ONLY way to get Edwin to join your party.

And if you have already joined up with Bodhi, you can't get Edwin to
join you. So, if you want to do both, get Edwin first. John Messinger
states that if you have Yoshimo in your party, when you visit the Docks
he'll let you talk to Renal again.

Q: I have Viconia, Edwin or Korgan in my party and a reputation of 18. How
can I lower my reputation to keep these people in my group?

A: Go hit a peasant. Preferably one in a house where other people won't
see you (if too many people see you, they all go hostile and you can
potentially ruin the game). It isn't necessary to kill the peasant,
simply hitting them should be sufficient (use your fists, unless you are
a monk). Or you could find a shop somewhere that you don't have much
respect for, and steal from it. They catch you stealing and your
reputation suffers.

Finally there are several quests that if done in an EVIL manner will
drop your reputation somewhat. These are noted in the walkthrough. Just
do a document search for "reputation". (in IE, do a CTRL-F)

Be careful not to let your reputation drop too low. For one thing, it
will cause Paladins and Rangers to become "fallen" (lose their abilities)
and another, at really low reputations you become a target for every
law enforcement person in the area.

Notably, if you get one of these people to join when your reputation is
already higher than 18, they will stick around. If your reputation
changes and is still higher than 18 (such as going from 20 to 19) then
they will leave.

SPOILER

Once you can turn into the Slayer, you can drop your reputation by 2
points any time you please.

Q: Viconia/Edwin/Korgan just took off and left, how do I get them back?

A: They likely left due to reputation concerns (see the above question).
When they leave like this, there isn't a real way to get them back.

Q: I'm having difficulty with the Harper's and Jaheira. Every time I leave
the Underdark, I'm attacked by the Harper's, which in turn makes the
elves hostile. How do I deal with this?

A: Answer from Baldurdash's Bug List page. Download the Improved Jaheira
Romance Script:

http://www.baldurdash.org/

This fixes several buggy aspects of the romance. You can find the
Baldurdash Bug List here:

http://www.baldurdash.org/buglist.html

Q: I want to Dual Class, but the button is grayed out on the Records page.
How can I Dual Class?

A: In order to Dual you must meet these requirements: First your character
MUST be Human. Only humans can dual class. Second your character must
START from a class that CAN dual. (Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, Monks
and Barbarians CANNOT dual) Third you must have good stats in both your
current class, and the one you wish to dual to. This works out to at
least a 15 in the prime stat of your current class, and a 17 in the
prime stat in your desired class. (Prime stat is what that class uses
most, for example, STR for fighters, DEX for thieves, WIS for priests,
and INT for mages)

So, to dual a Kensai to a mage, you must have 15 STR and 17 INT. To
dual a Fighter to a Thief you must have 15 STR and 17 DEX.

There are also Alignment restrictions on which class you can become.
Thieves, for instance, cannot be Lawful Good. So if you have a Human
Kensai with the appropriate stats, but are Lawful Good, then you CANNOT
dual to a Thief. Druids must be True Neutral, etc.

Q: I dualled a Berserker to a Mage, but I can't cast spells. Why not?

A: You need to download that patch to get that Dual to work:

http://www.bioware.com/bgate2/bg2patch.shtml

Once that patch is installed, your Berserker/Mage should work fine. Also
remember that you can't cast spells while in armor.

Q: How do I get back into Bodhi's Lair? The door won't open!

A: Referring to Baldurdash's nifty Buglist, we find a small download to
fix this problem:

http://www.baldurdash.org/FixedBG2BodhiLairInaccessible.zip

The address for Baldurdash's Buglist is:

http://www.baldurdash.org/buglist.html

Q: Phaere told me to go to the SE corner of Ust Natha to fight some
Beholders, but when I get to her, she has nothing to say to me! What do
I do?

A: With the Cheat Console, type in this:

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("PHAERESPEAKBEHOLD","GLOBAL",0)

This resets her conversation about the beholders allowing you to talk to
her again about it. (from Marc Oliver)

Q: Who is this Malchor Harpell chap that I keep running into? Every time I
go somewhere, he teleports after me.

A: Malchor is the game's built in defense to you killing Drizzt and stealing
his stuff. He should only appear after Bodhi has been finally dealt with
to reclaim any gear from any member of Drizzt's party who has died. If
you refuse to simply give the gear up, he will simply steal it back
anyway. From what I have heard, this doesn't work quite right and he
is unable to talk to you. To get rid of him, simply dump all of Drizzt's
items.

Q: Help me with these romances! How do I get Viconia/Aerie/Anomen/Jaheira
to like me?

A: They will automatically start a romance with you by virtue of your
main character's gender. If you show interest in Jaheira, (or anyone)
then you are stuck with them (at least until you stop showing interest).
The main reason I don't mention the romances in this guide much is that
it is completely optional, and doesn't help your game out much. Sure,
it will affect your game a lot if you are suddenly attacked by Bandits
(Jaheira), but you won't get anything significant out of it, save for the
love of one half-elven druid.

Q: How do I recharge Wands and other items with limited Charges?

A: Sell them to the store and rebuy them. Sure you take a financial hit,
but the items come back with 50-100 charges to them.

Q: What does a weapon's speed factor do?

A: Influences when your character can attack, the lower the number the
better. Let's say that there are two identical characters facing off.
Each has 3 attacks per round. One is using a Heavy Long Sword with a
Speed of 10, the other is using a Superlight Long Sword with a Speed of
0. The lighter sworded warrior will get to attack first, possibly even
attacking twice before the other warrior gets in one attack. Thus having
a low speed can allow you to kill monsters before they even touch you.

Note: Speed does not affect how many attacks you get per round. If it
says 3 attacks per round, that is how many you get, regardless of
speed.

Q: What do I do with all these gems I get?

A: There are very few gems with a purpose. Most are just for sale to get
yourself some money. However, you might want to save a Diamond, Beljuril
and Rogue Stone as these can be significant later. The Diamond and
Beljuril are used to upgrade the Silver Horn of Valhalla and the Rogue
Stone is used to enter the Mysterious Door in the Bridge District.

Q: I cheated to create a Familiar for a character that normally doesn't get
a Familiar (Fighter, for instance). Now, when it is created and put into
the pack, everything is fine, however if I release it again, it vanishes.
Also the Familiar changes from the one I created, to a different type
(one that now matches my alignment). What's up with this?

A: (from Harry Smith) I've played around with the familiars more, and it is
the mixed alignment problem that kills it. The trick works just fine as
long as the familiar that you are getting is the proper one for your
alignment. It also appears to work fine for other alignments, as long as
you don't put the familiar in your backpack. That's a pretty big
limitation, but perhaps some people would be willing to live with it.
This might be something to add to the FAQ to let people know what they're
getting into before they waste their time on something that can't be
done.

Q: Why can't Imoen (or any other dual/multi classed Mage) cast spells? The
entire icon is grayed out.

A: You can't cast mage spells while wearing any armor. So, if you are
wearing some Studded Leather Armor, your mage spells will be deactivated.
Also note that Robes do not count as armor.

Q: What is fatigue?

A: It penalizes your party by -1 to luck. Luck affects all your party's
"rolls", such as THAC0 (your ability to hit), Saving Throws (your ability
to not be affected by spells and such), Damage, etc. Your luck gets
worse the longer you go without resting.

Q: I didn't preorder or buy the Collector's Edition. Is there a way that
I can get those items anyway?

A: Yes, just download a little fix.

Quick Fix: http://www.sorcerers.net/index.shtml and check the Games }
Baldur's Gate II } Editors, Hacks & Custom Characters }

http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/BG2extras.zip

Q: Is there a patch? What does it fix?

A: Yes. This patch fixes all the major gaming problems I ever experienced
with BG2, and since installing it I haven't had any major crashes.

http://www.bioware.com/bgate2/bg2patch.shtml

Q: Is there a patch for Throne of Bhaal?

A: There is one that gets it to work for Win2000, but nothing for a general
patching purpose.

Q: Will there be an Expansion? Sequel?

A: Yes, it is called Throne of Bhaal and you should go out and buy it.
As for a sequel, well... maybe. Though, if there is a sequel, I really
doubt it will use the same game engine.

Send in all questions to: [email protected]

===============================================================================
{ { { { { APPENDICES } } } } }
===============================================================================

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. } } } } Complete Kit Descriptions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fighter Kits:
-------------

BERSERKER

This is a warrior who is in tune with his animalistic side and, during
combat, can achieve an ecstatic state of mind that will enable him to fight
longer, harder and more savagely than any human has a right to. Berserkers
tend to be barbarian-like in nature, but not always. Sometimes it is a
conscious choice that a warrior in training makes. Regardless, opponents on
the battlefield will be unsettled with they see the savage and inhuman
elements of the berserker's personality. This class is common amongst
dwarves, know to them as "battleragers."

Advantages:
- May use Enrage ability once per day per 4 levels. While enraged: +2 to
hit, +2 damage, -2 AC. The berserker at this time is immune to charm,
hold, fear, maze, imprisonment, stun and sleep. He also gains 15 hit
points while enraged. These hit points are temporary, and are taken away
at the end of his berserk spree, possibly killing the berserker.

Disadvantages:
- Becomes winded after berserking. While he's winded, he receives -2 to
hit, -2 to damage and a +2 penalty to AC.
- Cannot specialize in ranged weapons.

WIZARDSLAYER

This warrior has been specially trained by his sect to excel in hunting and
attacking spellcasters of all kinds.

Advantages:
- For each successful hit on an opponent, 10% cumulative spell failure
penalty is applied.
- 4% magic resistance per level.

Disadvantages:
- May not use any magic items except for weapons and armor.

KENSAI

This class is also known as the Sword Saint, and consists of a warrior who
has been specially trained to be one with his sword. They are deadly and
fast and trained to fight without encumbrance.

Advantages:
- +1 to hit and +1 damage for every three levels.
- -2 bonus to AC.
- -1 bonus to speed factor for every 4 levels.
- May use Kai ability one time per day for every 4 levels (starts at 1st
level with one use). This ability lasts 10 seconds and makes all the
attacks do maximum damage.

Disadvantages:
- May not use missile weapons.
- May not wear armor.
- May not wear gauntlets or bracers.

Thief Kits:
-----------

ASSASSIN

This is a killer trained in discrete and efficient murder, relying on
anonymity and surprise to perform his task. Assassins must be of Evil or
Chaotic Neutral alignment.

Advantages:
- May coat his weapon in poison once per day per 4 levels. The next hit
with that weapon will inject the poison into the target, dealing out 1
damage per second for 24 seconds (3 damage for the first 6 seconds).
A saving throw vs. poison limits damage to 12 total.
- Bonus +1 to hit and +1 damage.

Disadvantages:
- Only 15 points per level to distribute on abilities.

SWASHBUCKLER

This rogue is part acrobat, part swordsman, and part wit: the epitome of
charm and grace.

Advantages:
- Bonus +1 to AC.
- Another +1 to AC for every 5 levels.
- +1 to hit and damage every 5 levels.
- May specialize in any weapon that a thief can use
- May place three stars in two-weapon fighting style proficiency

Disadvantages:
- No backstab multiplier.

BOUNTY HUNTER

This is a hunter of men, skilled in tracking quarry and bringing them back
alive--whether for lawful authorities or underworld masters. Bounty Hunters
are specially trained at their task and make fearsome opponents. They have
honed their trap-making abilities well beyond that of the average thief.

Advantages:
- +15% to trap setting.
- He can lay special traps (other than the ones that all thieves receive).
The traps are more powerful than the typical thief trap, and the effect
varies according to the level. The effects are listed below:
- 1st: The trap deals out damage and slows the target (if save is
failed).
- 11th: The trap holds the target if a save is failed.
- 16th: The trap erects an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere around the target
(if a save is failed).
- 21st: The trap Mazes the target.

Disadvantages:
- Gets only 20 to distribute between thief abilities each level.

Ranger Kits:
------------

ARCHER

The archer is the epitome of skill with the bow. He is the ultimate marksman,
able to make almost any shot, no matter how difficult. To become so skilled
with the bow, the archer has had to sacrifice some of his proficiency with
melee weapons and armor.

Advantages:
- +1 to hit and +1 to damage with any missile weapon for every 3 levels of
experience. TOB: at 18th level, bonuses slow to every 5 levels.
- Every 4 levels he gains the ability to make a called shot once per day.
When he activates this ability, any shot made within the next 10 seconds
is augmented in the following manner (according to the level of the
archer):
- 4th level: -1 to THACO of target
- 8th level: -1 to save vs magic of target
- 12th: -1 to strength of target
- 16th: +2 bonus to damage

Disadvantages:
- An archer can only become proficient in melee weapons; he may never
specialize.
- An archer cannot wear any metal armor.

BEASTMASTER

This ranger is a wanderer, and is not comfortable in civilized lands. He
maintains a natural affinity for animals; they are his friends and
comrades-in-arms, and the Beast Master has a limited form of telepathic
communication with them.

Advantages:
- +15% to stealth ability
- Enhanced spell ability with regard to the following spells:
- May cast the 4th level druid spell Animal Summoning I at 8th level.
- May cast Animal Summoning II at 10th level.
- May cast Animal Summoning III at 12th level.
- May cast Find Familiar (special abilities menu)

Disadvantages:
- Cannot use metal weapons (such as swords, halberds, hammers or morning
stars).

STALKER

Stalkers serve as covert intelligence gatherers, comfortable in both
wilderness and urban settings. They are the spies, informants, and
interrogators, and their mastery of stealth makes them deadly opponents.

Advantages:
- +20% to stealth ability
- May backstab for a lesser amount than the thief class (level 1-8: x1,
level 9-16: x2, level 17+: x3)
- Has access to three mage spells at 12th level. They are Haste, Protection
from Normal Missiles and Minor Spell Deflection.

Disadvantages:
- May not wear armor greater than studded leather.

Cleric Kits:
------------

TOB: All clerics at 25th level get a special ring from their god:
+1 STR
+5% Magic Resistance
extra 6th and 7th level spells.

PRIEST OF TALOS

Talos is the evil god of storms, destruction and rebellion. Clerics of the
Stormlord warn that Talos must be appeased or he will rain destruction upon
the land.

Advantages:
- May cast Lightning Bolt once per day per 5 levels of the caster (starts
at 1st level with one use).
- May cast Storm Shield once per day per 10 levels of the caster (starts at
1st level with one use). This spell lasts 6 seconds per level of the
caster. It protects the caster from lightning, fire, cold and normal
missiles.

Disadvantages:
- None

PRIEST OF LATHANDER

Lathander is the good god of renewal, creativity and youth, and is celebrated
nearly everywhere. His followers are very popular throughout the Realms, and
there are numerous wealthy temples devoted to him.

Advantages:
- May cast Hold Undead once per day for every 5 levels of the caster
(starts at 1st level with one use).
- May cast Boon of Lathander once per day per 10 levels of the caster
(starts at 1st level with one use). This spell lasts for 6 seconds per
level of the caster. It gives the caster +1 to hit, +1 to damage, +1 to
all saving throws and gives the caster 1 extra attack per round. It also
protects the recipient from level drain.

Disadvantages:
- None.

PRIEST OF HELM

Followers of the neutral God of Watchers and Protectors are warriors in their
own right and are often seen as defenders of the innocent.

Advantages:
- May cast True Sight once per day per 5 levels (starts at 1st level with
one use).
- May cast Seeking Sword once per day per 10 levels (starts at 1st level
with on use). This spell creates a sword in the player's hand (that
cannot be dropped or unequipped). The sword is +4 for purposes of
determining what it can hit (but this bonus does not apply to damage),
and it deals out 2-8 damage to any target it hits. The weapon sets the
number of attacks of the cleric to 3. It lasts for 1 round per level of
the caster. When equipped, the wielder cannot cast further spells.

Disadvantages:
- None.

Bard Kits:
----------

BLADE

The blade is an expert fighter and adventurer, whose bardic acting abilities
make him appear more intimidating and fearsome. His fighting style is flashy
and entertaining, but is also quite deadly.

Advantages:
- May use Offensive Spin and Defensive Spin abilities once per day per 4
levels. Offensive Spin lasts 24 seconds, granting the blade +2 to hit, +2
to damage, and an extra attack. As well, all of his attacks do maximum
damage for the duration. Defensive Spin lasts 24 seconds, roots him to
the spot, but gives -1 AC per level of experience. This armor class bonus
does not go over -10.
- May place three slots into two-weapon fighting style.

Disadvantages:
- Only has one-half normal Lore value.
- Only has one-half Pick Pockets percentage.
- Bard Song does not become better with levels.

JESTER

This bard is well versed in the arts of ridicule and hilarity, and uses his
abilities to distract and confuse his enemies, cavorting madly during combat.

Advantages:
- Jester's song does not help allies. Instead, it affects every opponent
within 30 feet, and they must save vs. magic at +4 once per round or be
confused.

Disadvantages:
- None

SKALD

This Nordic bard is also a warrior of great strength, skill and virtue. His
songs are inspiring sagas of battle and valor, and the skald devotes his life
to those pursuits.

Advantages:
- +1 to hit and +1 damage with all weapons.
- The skald's song is different from the typical bard and varies with
level:
- 1st: Gives allies +2 to hit, +2 to damage and -2 to AC.
- 15th: Gives allies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, -4 to AC, and immunity to
fear.
- 20th: Gives allies +4 to hit, +4 to damage, -4 to AC, and immunity to
fear, stun and confusion.

Disadvantages:
- Pick Pockets ability one-quarter normal.

Mage Kits:
----------

Mage specialists gain +1 spell per level, but can't cast spells in their
opposition school.

Races Stat Required

Abjurer Human 15 Wisdom
Conjurer Human, Half-Elf 15 Constitution
Diviner Any 16 Wisdom
Enchanter Human, Half-Elf, Elf 16 Charisma
Illusionist Human, Gnome 16 Dexterity
Invoker Human 16 Constitution
Necromancer Human 16 Wisdom
Transmuter Human, Half-Elf 15 Dexterity

Specialist School Opposition School(s)
Abjurer Abjuration Alteration
Conjurer Conjuration/Summoning Divination
Diviner Divination Conjuration/Summoning
Enchanter Enchantment/Charm Evocation
Illusionist Illusion Necromancy
Invoker Invocation/Evocation Enchantment/Charm, Conjuration
Necromancer Necromancy Illusion
Transmuter Alteration Abjuration, Necromancy

Wild Mage (TOB), no prohibited school, but chance of a Wild Surge.

Paladin Kits:
-------------

CAVALIER

This class represents the most common picture of the knight: the gentleman
warrior who epitomizes honor, courage, and loyalty. He is specialized in
battling 'classical' evil monsters such as demons and dragons.

Advantages:
- Bonus +3 to hit and +3 damage against all demonic and draconic creatures.
- May cast Remove Fear 1 time per day per level.
- Immune to fear and morale failure.
- Immune to poison.
- 20% resistance to fire.
- 20% resistance to acid.

Disadvantages:
- May not use missile weapons. (they CAN use throwing Axes, however)

INQUISITOR

The inquisitor has dedicated his life to finding and eliminating
practitioners of evil magic and defeating the forces of darkness, and his god
has provided him with special abilities towards that end.

Advantages:
- May use Dispel Magic ability once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st
level with one use). The ability is used at a speed factor of 1 and acts
at twice his actual level.
- May cast True Sight once per day per 4 levels (starts at 1st level with
one use).
- Immune to Hold and Charm spells.

Disadvantages:
- May not use Lay on Hands ability.
- May not cast priest spells.
- May not turn undead.
- May not use Cure Disease ability.

UNDEAD SLAYER

This holy avenger has honed his abilities towards the destruction of the
undead and other unnatural creatures, and is immune to many of their more
devastating abilities.

Advantages:
- +3 to hit and +3 damage vs. undead.
- Immune to hold.
- Immune to level drain.

Disadvantages:
- May not use Lay on Hands ability.

Druid Kits:
-----------

TOB: All Druids at 15th level are immune to poison.
At 18th and 24th levels, Druids gain 10% resistance to elements.

SHAPESHIFTER

This druid is not called shapeshifter because he has access to a great
variety of forms, rather because of his complete dedication to a single
alternate form. This druid has willingly allowed himself to become infected
with lycanthropy, but due to intense study and training he has the ability to
control his affliction. The creature he becomes is that of the werewolf, the
most famous of the lycanthrope shape changers.

Advantages:
- May shapeshift into the form of a werewolf once per day for every 2
levels (starts at 1st level with one use).
- At 13th level, gains the ability to change into a greater werewolf once
per day.

Disadvantages:
- No other shapeshifting abilities due to the effort required maintaining
balance in his primary forms.
- Cannot wear any armor.

TOTEMIC DRUID

This druid closely identifies with a particular animal, an animal that he
feels represents his spirit. This grants him a special connection to the
animal kingdom, and he is able to call upon their spirits to aid him.

Advantages:
- May summon a special 'spirit' animal once per day per 5 levels of
experience. Spirit animal is randomly selected from 'Spirit Bear',
'Spirit Wolf', 'Spirit Lion' and 'Spirit Snake'.

Disadvantages:
- Cannot shapeshift.

AVENGER

A member of a special sect within the Druidic order, a druid of this type is
dedicated to fighting those who would defile nature. Avengers have powers the
average druid does not; additional abilities that have been earned through
extensive rituals, a process that is very physically draining.

Advantages:
- May shapechange into normal forms, as well as those of sword spider, baby
wyvern and fire salamander.
- 6 mage spells are added to his repertoire, all the way up to 6th level.
These are listed below:
- 1st: Chromatic Orb
- 2nd: Web
- 3rd: Lightning Bolt
- 4th: Improved Invisibility
- 5th: Chaos
- 6th: Chain Lightning

Disadvantages:
- May not wear better than leather armor.
- On character creation, he receives a -2 to strength and constitution.

Monk:
-----

Monks are warriors who pursue perfection through contemplation as well as
action. They are versatile fighters, especially skilled in combat without
weapons or armor. Though monks cannot cast spells, they have a unique magic
of their own. They channel a subtle energy, called ki, which allows them to
perform amazing feats. The monk's best known feat is their ability to stun an
opponent with an unarmed blow.

Advantages:
- The monk can make one unarmed attack per round; he gains one-half
additional attack every 3 levels.
- As the monk increases in levels, the damage his fists inflict does as
well:
- Level 1-2: 1-6
- Level 3-5: 1-8
- Level 6-8: 1-10
- Level 9-14: 1-12
- Level 15+: 1-20
- A monk's natural armor class gets better as he goes up in levels. His
armor class starts off at 9, and then decreases by 1 for every 2 levels.
- Stunning blow, once per day for every 4 levels. All attacks in the next 6
seconds force the victim to save or be stunned. Note: This special
ability automatically modifies a monk's normal attack, no targeting needs
to be done.
- Monks have the Deflect Missiles ability. This gives them a -1 to their AC
vs missiles for every 3 levels.
- The monk gains a +2 to save vs. spells.
- A monk starts off moving at +2 move, then +1 move every 5 levels.
- 5th level: Immunity to all diseases, and cannot be Slowed or Hasted.
- 7th level: Lay on Hands to heal 2 hit points per level.
- 8th level: -1 to speed factor.
- 9th level: +1 to all saves. Immune to charm. The monk's fist is
considered a +1 weapon (+2 at 12th, +3 at 15th).
- 11th level: Immune to poison.
- 12th level: Another -1 to speed factor.
- 13th level: Quivering Palm spell once per day. This spell gives them one
hand attack. If they hit an opponent, the opponent must save or die.
- 14th level: The monk gains 3% magic resistance per level (ie. 42% at 14th
level, caps out at 78%).
- 20th level: Immune to non-magical weapons.
- TOB: 21st level: AC bonuses slow to every 3 levels
- TOB: 25th level: Fists become +4 weapons
- TOB: 30th level: AC bonuses slow to every 5 levels

Disadvantages:
- The monk cannot wear armor.
- A monk can only uses weapons available to the thief class (except 2
handed).

Sorcerer:
---------

Sorcerers are practitioners of magic who were born with the innate ability to
cast spells. It is thought that the blood of some powerful creature flows
through their veins; perhaps they are the spawn of the gods themselves, or
even dragons walking in humanoid form. Regardless, the sorcerer's magic is
intuitive rather than logical. They know fewer spells than wizards, and
acquire spells more slowly, by they can cast spells more often and have no
need to select and prepare spells ahead of time. Sorcerers cannot specialize
in magic the way wizards to. other than these differences, a sorcerer is very
similar to the wizard. Note: A sorcerer does not learn spells from scrolls.
He chooses new spells with each level. A sorcerer's prime requisite is
intelligence and they use the mage avatar.

Barbarian:
----------

A barbarian can be an excellent warrior. While not as disciplined or as
skilled as a normal fighter, the barbarian can willingly throw himself into a
berserker rage, becoming a tougher and stronger opponent. The barbarian uses
the fighter avatar.

Advantages:
- They move at 2 points faster than the usual character.
- Barbarians are immune to backstab.
- Can Rage once per day for every 4 levels (starts at 1st level with one
use). Rage gives them +4 to constitution and strength for 5 rounds. Gives
a -2 armor class penalty and +2 to saves vs. magic (for 5 rounds). Rage
also gives immunity to all charm, hold, fear, maze, confusion and
level-drain spells.
- At 11th level, the barbarian gains 10% resistance to slashing, piercing,
crushing and missile damage. He gains +5% to this every 4 levels
thereafter.
- The barbarian rolls d12 for hit points instead of a fighter's d10.

Disadvantages:
- A barbarian cannot wear full plate or plate mail.
- A barbarian cannot specialize past normal specialization.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. } } } } Charts & Analysis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
} } } } Thieving Money Charts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some extended Thieves Guild money charts, for use with the Thief
Stronghold. It works by probabilities. Since at "Low" risk you have a 10%
chance of your thief getting caught, I simply show that 9 times you gain the
money and the 10th you must pay to get that thief out of jail. Then I add
that up and divide by 10 to get the average.

Hanz Money Chart

Risk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Totals / Avg.
--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Low 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 -100 = 1700 or 170 avg.
Med. 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 400 -100 -100 = 3000 or 300 avg.
High 600 600 600 600 600 600 250 -100 -100 -100 = 3550 or 355 avg.
V. High 900 900 900 900 900 -100 -100 -100 -100 -100 = 4000 or 400 avg.

Goshan Money Chart

Risk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Totals / Avg.
--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Low 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 -200 = 1600 or 160 avg.
Med. 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 -200 -200 = 2000 or 200 avg.
High 500 500 500 500 500 500 150 -200 -200 -200 = 2550 or 255 avg.
V. High 750 750 750 750 750 -200 -200 -200 -200 -200 = 2750 or 275 avg.

Kretor Money Chart

Risk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Totals / Avg.
--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Low 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 -50 = 2200 or 220 avg.
Med. 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 -50 -50 = 3900 or 390 avg.
High 750 750 750 750 750 750 350 -50 -50 -50 = 4700 or 470 avg.
V. High 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 -50 -50 -50 -50 -50 = 4750 or 475 avg.

Morsa Money Chart

Risk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Totals / Avg.
--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Low 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 -250 = 650 or 65 avg.
Med. 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 -250 -250 = 1500 or 150 avg.
High 500 500 500 500 500 500 125 -250 -250 -250 = 2375 or 237.5 a.
V. High 750 750 750 750 750 -250 -250 -250 -250 -250 = 2500 or 250 avg.

Varia Money Chart

Risk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Totals / Avg.
--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Low 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 -300 = 1050 or 105 avg.
Med. 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 300 -300 -300 = 1800 or 180 avg.
High 500 500 500 500 500 500 100 -300 -300 -300 = 2200 or 220 avg.
V. High 800 800 800 800 800 -300 -300 -300 -300 -300 = 2500 or 250 avg.

SloppyDogg came up with a quick way to find the averages for a Thief:

(Gold gained * % Success) - (Bail * % Failure) = average. So Hanz's average
at "high" risk would be: ((600 * 0.65) - (100 * 0.35) == 390 - 35) = 355.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
} } } } Dual Wielding Analysis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is Dual-wielding really worth it?

Depends. Let's start at the beginning. No matter what, you can never
ever have more than 5 attacks per round. That is set in stone. The
second attack from your "shield" hand can only ever count as 1 attack
per round. Doesn't matter about proficiencies (although proficiencies
do help determine your THAC0). (Actually you can get above 5 attacks per
round using the Improved Haste Spell, which doubles the number of
attacks)

So, let's say that you are Dual-wielding the Celestial Fury (+3) Katana
and Dak'kon's Zerth Blade (+2) Katana. Also, let's say you normally have
3 attacks per round. Assuming you somehow did max dmg. every time, yet
no critical hits, your Celestial Fury in a round (6 sec.) would be:

(1d10 + 3) * 3 = 39 dmg.

Yet you would also get one extra attack with your offhand weapon (at a
penalty to THAC0), if you hit with it and did full dmg you would get an
extra 12 dmg, which is about 30% more damage. This is just one example.

Your offhand weapon will never have as good a THAC0 (to hit) as your
normal weapon. With no points devoted to Two Weapon style your offhand
gets a -8 penalty to THAC0 and even your main hand is penalized by -4.
So, if your normal THAC0 is 18, your new THAC0 will be 22 and your
offhand will jump up to 26. (Remember lower THAC0's are better) One
point in Two Weapon reduces this to -6 offhand and -2 normal. Two points
to -4 offhand. Only fighters can spend 3 points on Two Weapon style (and
Swashbucklers and Blades as well), which has the smallest penalty at -2.

Note: If you are not proficient with your offhand weapon, you incur
the normal penalty to hit (-1) and dmg. (-1) I would recommend
becoming proficient in only ONE type of weapon, then using that
in both hands.

Back to the hypothetical situations. You have a Ranger (rangers
automatically get two points in Two Weapon style) using a Long Sword
right now. He is currently getting 10 THAC0 (with STR and all other
bonuses figured in already). He puts another Long Sword in his shield
hand. His main hand stays at 10 THAC0, but his offhand only hits at 14
THAC0. At this point, he has 55% to hit a creature at AC 0 with his main
hand, but only 30% to hit with his offhand. (This assumes that you have
identical weapons in each hand, else your THAC0's would look different)

Let's see what might happen in a few rounds: (again assuming that you
always do max damage, no critical hits, and remember that the offhand
only attacks ONCE per round)

main hand (1d8, 2.5 attacks) offhand (1d8, 1 attack) tot:
round 1: hit, 8 dmg. miss 0 8
miss, 0 dmg. -- 0
hit, 4 dmg (the "half") -- 4
---
12

round 2: hit, 8 dmg. miss 0 8
miss, 0 -- 0
miss, 0 -- 0
---
8

round 3: hit, 8 dmg. hit, 8 dmg. 16
hit, 8 dmg. -- 8
miss, 0 -- 0
---
24

R1(12) + R2(8) + R3(24) = 44 dmg. in 3 rounds

In three rounds, the offhand managed 8 damage. It only hit the AC 0
target 1 out of 3 times (technically that's above average for it!).

So, is Dual-wielding worth it? Yes, but really only if you get 3 stars
in the Two Weapon style. It also becomes much better as your THAC0
improves. And never, ever dual wield unless you have at LEAST 2 stars,
else your main hand THAC0 is hurt.

Jason Cha offers further analysis:

Undoubtedly the most important question in whether to dual wield or not has
nothing to do with just the extra damage associated with having a second
weapon. It has to do with factors such as the tradeoffs between AC and
damage, or the extra abilities the second weapon or shield may offer (such
as my favorite, dual-wielding Crom Faeyr with Belm +2).

*********************************

Take Bill the human thief.
He's not too strong, only 9 strength, so no strength bonus on his attacks.
He's got the Blade of Roses (longsword +3) and a plain old longsword +1.

He's level 10, and has one proficiency slot in longsword and one in two
weapon use. He also has one proficiency slot in one handed weapon use.

His base THAC0 is 16.

Let's assume he's fighting a NPC with AC0. I'll leave the math for below,
but just using the Blade of Roses his expected damage per round is 3.75
damage per round.

If he's dual wielding the Blade of Roses and the Longsword +1, his expected
damage per round is 3.175.

So Bill, under these circumstances, is best off just using the Blade of
Roses.

But suppose Bill gets the Gauntlets of Ogre Strength. The expected damage
for just using the Blade of Roses alone is 8.775. On the other hand, dual
wielding the Blade and the longsword +1 results in expected damage of 9.05.

So here he is better off dual wielding.

I haven't sat down to figure out exactly when the advantage turns to dual
wielding, whether or not it hinges on just + to hit or + to damage, or some
relationship between both. I welcome others to calculate the exact point.

Also, this analysis does not include the AC bonus Bill would get with the
single weapon use. It's decisions like that, that makes D&D such a rich game
and not just numeric power gaming. Also when backstabbing, Bill is clearly
better just using a single weapon. And let's not forget the additional
powers of weapons (my personal favorite, with a fighter Crom Faeyr for 25
str and the Scimitar of Belm for +1 attack).

************************

Here's the Math as promised
Enemy = AC 0

Bill - 9 Str and just the Blade of Roses
THAC0 = 13 (16 base - 3 sword)
Blade of Roses Average Damage = 7.5 (1d8 + 3)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 15
19 - 15
18 - 7.5
17 - 7.5
16 - 7.5
15 - 7.5
14 - 7.5
13 - 7.5
12 - MISS

Expected Damage = 3.75 (75 (total of possibilities) /20 (any one
possibility)

------------------------------

Bill - 9 Str and dualwielding Blade of Roses and Longsword +1

MAIN HAND
THAC0 = 15 (16 base - 3 sword + 2 penalty)
Blade of Roses Average Damage = 7.5 (1d8 + 3)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 15
19 - 7.5
18 - 7.5
17 - 7.5
16 - 7.5
15 - 7.5
14 - MISS

Expected Damage Main Hand = 2.625

OFF HAND
THAC0 = 21 (16 base - 1 sword + 6 penalty)
Longsword +1 Average Damage = 5.5 (1d8 +1)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 11
19 - MISS

Expected Damage Off Hand = .55

Total Expected Damage = 3.175

============================================================

With Gauntlets of Ogre Strength

Bill - 18/00 Str and just the Blade of Roses
THAC0 = 10 (16 base - 3 sword - 3 str)
Blade of Roses Average Damage = 13.5 (1d8 + 3 sword + 6 str)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 27
19 - 27
18 - 13.5
17 - 13.5
16 - 13.5
15 - 13.5
14 - 13.5
13 - 13.5
12 - 13.5
11 - 13.5
10 - 13.5
9 - MISS

Expected Damage = 8.775

----------------------------------------

With Gauntlets of Ogre Strength and Dual Wielding

Bill - 18/00 Str and dualwielding Blade of Roses and Longsword +1

MAIN HAND
THAC0 = 12 (16 base - 3 sword - 3 str + 2 penalty)
Blade of Roses Average Damage = 13.5 (1d8 + 3 + 6)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 27
19 - 13.5
18 - 13.5
17 - 13.5
16 - 13.5
15 - 13.5
14 - 13.5
13 - 13.5
12 - 13.5
11 - MISS

Expected Damage Main Hand = 6.75

OFF HAND
THAC0 = 18 (16 base - 1 sword - 3 str + 6 penalty)
Longsword +1 Average Damage = 11.5 (1d8 + 1 + 6)

Attack Roll - Damage
20 - 23
19 - 11.5
18 - 11.5
17 - MISS

Expected Damage Off Hand = 2.3

Total Expected Damage = 9.05

A statistic analysis using stochastic variables (by /Eathlon)
-----------------------------------------------

(Useful notations:
pc = chance for critical hit
ph = chance for "normal hit"
pm = chance for miss

These can be trivially calculated as:

pc = 0.05 if single wielding with proficiency in single weapon, 0.1 otherwise

ph = (19 - THACO + to hit bonuses + enemyAC)/20 if single wielding with
proficiency in single weapon
ph = (20 - THACO + to hit bonuses + enemyAC)/20 otherwise
(this is only valid when the number in the nominator is between 0 and 18, 0
and 17 when single wielding with proficiency, if not ph equals either 0, 0.90
or 0.85 respectively)

pm = 1 - ph - pc
we will see that in the end we do not need to calculate pm

The damage (as a stochastic variable), D, dealt with one attack will be:

D = H * X

Where H is a stochastic variable I've chosen to call the Hit Multiplier
it simply is 2 with probability pc, 1 with probability ph and 0 with
probability pm.
X is a stochastic variable describing the damage from a "normal hit".

X can be divided into one stochastic part and one constant part. The
constant part is simply all bonuses to the damage including the weapon's
own bonuses and the character's bonuses.
The stochastic part of X is simply a stochastic distribution depending on
what die (dice) that are rolled to determine the damage dealt.
In the future I will call the constant part d and the stochastic part Y.

Thus, we can rewrite D as:

D = (d + Y)*H

The expectation value of D (denoted by E(D)) becomes:

E(D) = d*E(H) + E(H)*E(Y)

as H and Y are independent stochastic variables. Both E(H) and E(Y) can be
calculated trivially. As E(Y) depends on the weapon used I will not give an
expression for this but E(H) becomes:

E(H) = pc*2 + ph*1 + pm*0 = 2*pc + ph

Thus:

E(D) = (2*pc + ph)*(d + E(Y))

To achieve the expected damage that a character deals in one round we have to
calculate E(D) for the weapons that the character wields and then multiply
those by the number of attacks the character does with the respective weapons
each round.

All this is interesting but we are missing the big picture. It actually
doesn't matter if your expected damage dealt is extremely high if your
opponent's is ever higher. To make a full analysis we need to divide your
expected damage with your opponent's expected damage, if this number is
larger than your opponent's hit points divided by your hit points - you will
stand a fairly good chance of beating him.

This is not the whole truth though. What we also have to take into account is
how much D varies, a measurement of this is the standard deviation (denoted
by s(D)). These calculations quickly becomes messy and I will satisfy with
giving the result in one of the earlier steps:

s(D) = sqrt( (4*pc + ph)*E(X^2) - (4*pc^2 + 4*pc*ph + ph)*(E(X))^2 )

(sqrt(x) denotes the square root of x, x^2 denotes x squared)

If the standard deviation is large, the damage dealt will vary wildly and who
wins the fight will become more random than if the standard deviation is low.
If the standard deviation would be zero - you would always win if the damage
you're expected to deal divided by the damage your opponent is expected to
deal is greater than your opponent's hit points divided by your own.

To continue Jason Cha's analysis of Bill:

When single wielding, Bill achieves the following constants (not assuming the
9 STR of Bill but assuming the final THAC0 to be t. Taking enemy AC to be
denoted by e and Bill's hit bonuses to be h):

pc = 0.1
ph = (19 - t + h + e)/ 20 = 0.95 + 0.05*(h + e - t)

Assume Bill has n number of attacks per round with single weapon style, we
get the following (when supposing Bill is using a longsword (a weapon
rolling 1d8 in the damage roll), the weapon's + to damage will be included in
d):

E(D) = (0.2 + 0.95 + 0.05*(h + e - t))*(d + 4.5) = 1.15*d + 5.175 +
(0.05*d + 0.225)*(h + e - t)

Expected damage per round = n*(1.15*d + 5.175 + (0.05*d + 0.225)*(h + e - t))

When dual wielding, the constants become:

pc = 0.05
ph = 1 + 0.05*(h + e - t)

We will suppose the second weapon is also a weapon rolling 1d8.
With t' denoting the THAC0 of the second weapon and d' difference in damage
bonus between the weapons and assuming the primary weapon is the same as the
single wielded weapon, we get:

Expected damage per round with primary weapon =
n*(1.05*d + 4.725 + (0.05*d + 0.225)*(h + e - t))
Expected damage per round with secondary weapon =
1.05*d + 4.725 + (0.05*(d+d') + 0.225)*(h + e - t')

Observe that the term (h + e - t) changes for the primary weapon when
changing to dual wield. This results in severe complexity (although it
really is trivial) in calculating what values of Bill's hit and damage
bonuses that will make dual wielding deal more damage than single wielding
per round on average. In the end it comes down to practically all factors
such as Bill's proficiencies, his modifications from attributes, what weapons
he's using and so on... almost everything counts, just as it should be.

As we all can see from the amount of calculations involved (I've not nearly
done a full analysis) that making a full analysis would be quite large and
that the calculations probably would have to be redone for each fight. So I
guess we should just play the game and "get a feeling" for when dual wield
pays off. Hey! It's more fun too... =)

NOTE: I have not checked all the calculations. If you find something to
be incorrect feel free to correct it. Also note that I've got more
experience in mathematical statistics than I do in AD&D rules. =)

/End Jason Cha's Dual Wield Analysis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C. } } } } Cheats
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any of the following cheats may crash your computer, ruin your game, or just
make the game less challenging (which is either good or bad).

_____________
Item Copying:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This isn't really a cheat, just taking advantage of a quirk with the system.

You don't actually have to be playing multiplayer for this to work, it just
really helps. You also don't have to be actually playing with anyone else to
be playing as multiplayer. One thing to do when you find any item of value
would be to:

1. Save the game.
2. Export the Character with the item(s) that you wish to copy. (only works
with characters that you have created yourself, such as the main
character)
3. Give all of that character's items away, and then click the bottom
button (Multiplayer Options), then click the Modify Characters button
(only works if there are no enemies around, and you aren't in the middle
of casting a spell), and then click on the Character Name to delete the
character.
4. Now immediately Import the character back, and you now have 2 of
everything that person had.

Similarly if you are doing this in a single player, you:

1. Export the Character.
2. Start a new game.
3. At the Character Creation Screen press "Import" and the select your
character.
4. To keep all your items, quickly pause when the game starts, then drop
all the items on the floor. Pick these up later when you regain
control.

It is really helpful that when you Export your Character to name him/her
something specific, not just "Character1" or something.

This is really useful for the ultra-rare items like the Full Plate +1. This
also works well if you want to start over, simply export your character,
start a new game, and import them there!

Setting Up the In-Game Cheats:
------------------------------

The cheat features are largely unchanged since the original Baldur's Gate.
There are some minor differences, but that is to be expected.

To get the cheats activated do these steps:

Step One:) Open the game's directory C:\Program Files\Black Isle\BGII - SoA

Step Two:) Open the Baldur.ini file in notepad.

Step Three:) Find the line [Program Options]. Under it are a variety of
settings for your game. Add this line:

Debug Mode=1

And it must be Debug Mode=1, not debug mode=1 or anything else.
Save and close notepad.

Step Four:) Now when you are in the game, press CTRL-SPACE to bring up the
Console. This is where you will enter all the cheats.

Anyone familiar with the original Baldur's Gate cheats will find that the
cheats are mostly the same from this point. At any point in the game, press
CTRL-SPACE to bring up the console. There you enter in your cheat and press
ENTER to execute the cheat.

Changing Experience Cheat:
--------------------------

In the console window enter this cheat:

CLUAConsole:SetCurrentXP(number)

Where 'number' is replaced by whatever number of experience points that you
wish for the selected party member(s) to have. It can normally go up to
2.95 million. (The Exp Cap can be removed, see the next section "Trainers &
Editors for more information) If you had 2000 exp and you set it to 1000 you
will actually lose experience, although this has no bearing on your level.

Example:

CLUAConsole:SetCurrentXP(2950000)

Create an Item:
---------------

In the console window enter this cheat:

CLUAConsole:CreateItem("itemcode",number)

There MUST be quotation marks around the itemcode. Sample item codes are
"boot01" (boots of speed). Once entered, that character will have that item.
The number part of the cheat is NOT NEEDED. And for most cheats you won't
want it. But if you want to create 5 potions, simply enter in 5 after the
item code to get 5 potions created. (The maximum is around 65,000, if I
remember correctly) This also works well for arrows and scrolls. To get
the maximum the easy way, use -1. Example:

CLUAConsole:CreateItem("potn07",-1)

...would create thousands of potions of Storm Giant strength.

If you want some Item Codes check out my Item List (complete with
Descriptions) which is located at:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/

Create a Monster:
-----------------

This works almost exactly like the CreateItem cheat, except you can't create
multiple monsters:

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("creaturename")

Again a list of monsters can be found at GameSages. At least until I come
up with my own list.

Cheat Hot Keys:
---------------

To activate the Cheat Hot Keys, enter this into the Console:

CLUAConsole:EnableCheatKeys()

And here are the Hot Keys:

CTRL+1 -- change the armor of the paper doll (the armor class doesn't
change)
CTRL+2 -- fades screen to black
CTRL+3 -- fades screen to normal
CTRL+4 -- highlight the background-interactive objects
CTRL+5 -- ???
CTRL+6 -- shapeshift your character into the previous paper doll in list
CTRL+7 -- shapeshift your character into the next paper doll in list
CTRL+8 -- highlights the text boxes
CTRL+9 -- highlight the sprites
CTRL+0 -- ???
CTRL+A -- do a sprite animation (see CTRL+S)
CTRL+B -- view last FMV sequence
CTRL+C -- jump to next chapter
CTRL+D -- display some strange numbers
CTRL+F -- turn the character
CTRL+I -- random party conversation
CTRL+J -- transport onto the position pointed by the cursor
CTRL+L -- information on position (same as X)
CTRL+M -- (Then press ENTER) DEBUG DUMP
CTRL+Q -- Makes the creature at the mouse cursor join the party, works on
pretty much anything (from GOOD-ASH, Brian Phillips)
CTRL+R -- heals the party member whose portrait your mouse is currently
over (doesn't have to be selected)
CTRL+S -- select a sprite animation
CTRL+T -- Advances the game time by one hour. This has the effect of
removing spell effects and such.
CTRL+X -- information on position (more)
CTRL+Y -- hurts/kills person mouse cursor is over

Throne of Bhaal adds a new one:

CTRL+H -- Fixes a wild mage to a specific surge, such that every time he
casts a spell he gets that surge. Setting the Surge Number to 0
undoes the surge fixing and goes back to normal functioning (or
malfunctioning as the case may be). One could be really cheesy
if they wanted and keep a wild mage fixed at the "spell cast at
normal, all spells refreshed as if rested" and keep the entire
spellbook "memorized" off of one Nahal's Reckless Dweomer (since
it would always work). All of the advantages of Sorcerers and
Wizards rolled into one. Really cheesy, as I said. (from Vash)

Note: This affects all magic everywhere, even for enemies, so
use at your own risk.
CTRL+I -- Invokes a random party conversation. Quite useful if you play
"fast" and wouldn't otherwise hear all the funny dialogues.
Especially Imoen's and Jan's...) This can be used to speed up
Sarevok's "conversion" to Chaotic Good, too. (Corvus Albus)

Other Codes:
------------

CLUAConsole:AddGold(number)
CLUAConsole:ExploreArea()
CLUAConsole:MoveToArea("ARXXXX")

The area code MUST appear in quotes. Just replace the XXXX with whatever
the area number is where you want to be. For example, to teleport to the
Government District in Athkatla you would do:

CLUAConsole:MoveToArea("AR1000")

And you would be teleported there. This allows you to go back to any
otherwise inaccessible area, but beware of ill side effects!

CLUAConsole:SetWeather(#) -- Use one of the following 3 settings:
0 - No Weather
1 - Rain
2 - Snow

Item Codes:
-----------

The "short" item list has been removed to reduce the size of the FAQ. You
can find it at the beginning of my item list, which is at
http://www.gamefaqs.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D. } } } } Trainers and Editors
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would recommend that you play through the game at least once without
cheating. Most of the fun in games comes from the challenge, and if you
make a SUPER party, then there isn't much challenge.

As always most everything here can be found at:

http://www.teambg.com/

Right now there are two major Rules Fixes and a Beta Character Editor. The
two rules fixes are an EXPERIENCE CAP REMOVER -- for when that 2.95 million
just seems too low -- and a fix for the Grand Mastery proficiency level,
which adds an extra attack at that level.

Another program -- the save game editor, Shadowkeeper -- is available here:

http://www.mud-master.com/shadowkeeper/index.html

This allows you to directly edit most everything directly from the Save
Game, which is a little more versatile than a mere character editor.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E. } } } } Manual Corrections & Addendums
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While looking through the manual, impressive as it is, I found quite a number
of errors.

Page 101, Specialization:
-------------------------

Looking at the Specialization chart on page 101, one might get the idea
that the proficiency system was completely nerfed from BG. Well it was
only partly nerfed. Here is the accurate chart:

points spent to hit bonus damage bonus attacks
1 (Proficient) 0 0 1
2 (Specialized) +1 +2 3/2
3 (Master) +2 +2 3/2
4 (High Master)* +2 +3 3/2
5 (Grand Master) +2 +4 3/2

* Improves weapon speed.

This gives you an extra +1 damage at High Master. Although if you
installed TeamBG's weapon specialization "fix" it will restore this chart
to what it was in BG:

points spent to hit bonus damage bonus attacks
1 (Proficient) 0 0 1
2 (Specialized) +1 +2 3/2
3 (Master) +3 +3 3/2
4 (High Master) +3 +4 3/2
5 (Grand Master) +3 +5 2

This can be downloaded from http://www.teambg.com/

Sorcerer Spell Charts: (from Mark Darrah, Bioware)
--------------------------------------------------

Number of Spell Levels that can be CAST per day:
Spell Level
Char Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
-------------------------------------
1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 6 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 6 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 6 6 5 3 0 0 0 0 0
9 6 6 6 4 0 0 0 0 0
10 6 6 6 5 3 0 0 0 0
11 6 6 6 6 4 0 0 0 0
12 6 6 6 6 5 3 0 0 0
13 6 6 6 6 6 4 0 0 0
14 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 0 0
15 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 0 0
16 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 0
17 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 0
18 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3
19 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4
20 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Number of Spells per Level that can be KNOWN:
Spell Level
Char Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
-------------------------------------
1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 5 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 5 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
9 5 4 3 2 0 0 0 0 0
10 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0
11 5 5 4 3 2 0 0 0 0
12 5 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0
13 5 5 4 4 3 2 0 0 0
14 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 0 0
15 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 0 0
16 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1 0
17 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 0
18 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1
19 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
20 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3

(thanks to Kevin Logan for sending this in)

Page 232, 234, Thieving Skill Base Scores, Bard Abilities
---------------------------------------------------------

Not really a mistake, but "Climb Walls", "Detect Noise" and "Read
Languages" are not implemented in Baldur's Gate II, so they needn't be
mentioned in the manual.

The "Base Scores" for thieving skills should be as follows:

Pick Pockets 15
Open Locks 10
Find Traps 5
Move Silently 10
Hide in Shadows 5
Detect Illusion 0
Set Traps 0

Also, the Thieving Skill Racial Adjustments should include "Detect
Illusion" and "Set Traps". Here is the completed table:

Skill Dwarf Elf Gnome Half-Elf Halfling
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pick Pockets -- +5 -- +10 +5
Open Locks +10 -5 +5 -- +5
Find/Remove Traps +15 -- +10 -- +5
Move Silently -- +5 +5 -- +10
Hide in Shadows -- +10 +5 +5 +15
Detect Illusion +5 -- +10 -- --
Set Traps +10 -- +5 -- --
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total ==} +40 +15 +40 +15 +40

On the next page comes the Thieving Skill Dexterity Bonuses, which should
be extended to DEX of 25:

Pick Open Find Move Hide in Set
DEX Pockets Locks Traps Silently Shadows Traps
---------------------------------------------------------------
9 -15 -10 -10 -20 -10 -10
10 -10 -5 -10 -15 -5 -10
11 -5 0 -5 -10 0 -5
12 0 0 0 -5 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 0 5 0 0 0 0
17 5 10 0 5 5 0
18 10 15 5 10 10 5
19 15 20 10 15 15 10
20 20 25 15 18 18 15
21 25 30 20 20 20 20
22 30 35 25 23 23 25
23 35 40 30 25 25 30
24 40 45 35 30 30 35
25 45 50 40 35 35 40

Page 238, Upgrading Reputation in a Temple
------------------------------------------

The costs for upgrading your reputation is incorrect at 13 and 14. Right
now it reads "200" and "500" respectively, when it should read "1200" and
"1500".

Here is the revised chart:

Cost Reputation Level
---------|----------------------------
1500 | 1
1200 | 2
1000 | 3
1000 | 4
500 | 5
400 | 6
200 | 7
300 | 8
400 | 9
500 | 10
700 | 11
900 | 12
1200 | 13
1500 | 14
2000 | 15
2500 | 16
5000 | 17
-- | 18
-- | 19
-- | 20

Page 89, Thief
--------------

The thief gets 25 points per level to spend on Thieving abilities, not 20
as the manual states.

Page 99, Find Traps
-------------------

In my BG2 manual I found that on page 99 that Volo says "You should always
be on the watch for traps in dundeons" It is right after Find Traps under
Special Abilities. Should be "dungeons." (from ?????)

Page 93, Fighter/Mage/Thief
---------------------------

In the manual's description for the Fighter/Mage/Thief multiclass it says
that: "They cannot use their thieving skills while wearing studded leather"
which is untrue. They cannot use their thieving skills while wearing
anything MORE than studded leather.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
F. } } } } Bugs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A pretty comprehensive buglist/bugfixlist can be found here:

http://www.baldurdash.org/

I've experience a lot of crashes, usually when I QuickSave. [not so much now
with the patch installed]

For some reason when I try to rest in an Inn it will first say "cannot rest",
even though the "Peasant" room is already selected. Then if I click on
"Peasant" again it will then let me rest.

Sometimes when my computer is restarted, BGII will "forget" that it exists
and make me uninstall and reinstall it. This happens when the hard drive
is defragmented and the computer is restarted. Very annoying.
[Fixed with the patch.]

Ever notice how strange the Sensate Amulet is? I had one character using that
and the Ioun Stone that adds HP. Which means that that person should gain
about +10% HP. However, when I equip the amulet first and then the Ioun
Stone, I only got 5%, but if I de-equipped the amulet and re-equipped it, not
only did I get the 10% but it healed the difference. Which means that I
could use it to heal a character.

Throne of Bhaal adds a new bug: While fighting the City Gates Lich, I
decided to pull him out into the inn where I could lay traps for him to get
killed by. This is all well and good (having killed the lich), but when I
entered his crypt to gather his treasures, there he was, back and ready for
more. In fact, as long as I kept leaving the crypt with him following me out
he would continue to respawn inside the crypt. In other words, I could fight
an unlimited battle with the lich! I believe that this bug works with any
battle where you have the enemy follow you to a new area, but haven't tested
it.

Jae Jung had some bugs:

1. Aerie dies (!) on random rests, loads or movement between areas. I don't
know if this is a bug or intended. I'd load up, hear a death sound and the
information bar would state "Aerie - Death". This has happened twice, once
on load and once when moving OUT of Irenicus' dungeon. The second time, I
hadn't even begun the Circus quest (obviously). Ideas?

2. I don't have a manual on me so this may not be a bug at all. My
characters sometimes (quite often actually, hence I don't think it's a bug)
have their strength reduced to a meagre 2. I cannot restore that value
either through temples or rest. There's no level drain icon either. It
usually happens after equipping certain weapons with bonuses, but reading
the weapon information gives no data about such reductions in your
strength. It has happened once in Irenicus' dungeon (with Imoen) and is
happening a lot (my specialist Thief especially and specialist Conjurer)
while I'm looking for quests outside. Ideas again?

Curtis Withers had more problems with Aerie:

While I was resting in that area of the sewers with all the Mind
Flayers, Aerie and Anomen started up a conversation, which resulted in
Anomen turning Chaotic Neutral and attacking Aerie. I interfered and
killed Anomen before he could finish Aerie off, but after that point
Arie would not walk to a location without constant prodding, and would
not pick up items anymore. It became really annoying, as you would be in
the heat of battle and Aerie would be half a screen behind. I eventaully
had to boot her out of the party in favour of Jan Janssen. I have had no
similar problems with any other NPC.

Editor's Note: This conversation thread happens ONLY after Anomen has
FAILED his knight's test. If he passes the test, it won't
happen.

Geoff Ulreich found a weapon inconsistency:

The Sun Sword (supposedly +2/+4 vs. evil creatures) will not hit
the demilich as far as I can tell, yet the +4 dagger will. In AD&D (second
edition), the +4 change should apply to what it can hit as well as THACO.

Geoff also found a Magic Resistance bug:

Magic resistance items don't 'stack' correctly. Only one of
multiple MR items placed on your character will affect them. I tried
placing the Ring of Gaxx (10% MR) on my Holy Avenger(50% MR)-wielding
paladin and at first his MR showed as 60% on the character record screen.
Soon after (I think after either saving or moving to a new area) his magic
resistance dropped to 50% again, until the ring was removed and put back
on. What a pain.

P.K. came up with this script bug:

By the way I noticed a small bug in BG2. I gave the "Trap detecting" script
to the thief (Is it called Thief Adventurer Script ?), and when I dualled
to mage, I forgot to change the script, but guess what... the Mage/Thief
kept detecting traps even though the Thief class was inactive!

Editor's Note: Technically this script works for ANYONE, even those who
have no "find traps" ability. If the trap is a 0 level
trap, they can even detect it. (Not too likely, but still)

Alexander Ferguson found a few:

I wanted to report a possible Bug I have found with the some
of the various Books that upgrade abilities. (Tome of Clear Thought, etc.)
On my system, only some of the books are actually usable. The others
can not be placed into the QuickSlots for use. They fail with the message
"Wrong Item Type". In addition, when you pick them up to move them into
the QuickSlot, the QuickSlot does not highlight, as it does with the usable
ones.

I have noted below the status that I have found with them.

======

Works Properly - BOOK03 - Manual of Bodily Health +1 Con
Works Properly - BOOK04 - Manual of Gainful Exercise +1 Str
Works Properly - BOOK05 - Manual of Quickness of Action +1 Dex
NOTE: When Picked up, it changes to a scroll icon, and then back to a book
Works Properly - BOOK06 - Tome of Clear Thought +1 Int

FAILS - BOOK07 - Tome of Leadership and Influence +1 Chr
FAILS - BOOK08 - Tome of Understanding +1 Wis

Braden found the way around this:

To use Tomes of Wisdom, or Charisma, or other ones that may
not work, simply place one crappy healing potion, and the
appropriate IDed tome, into the less-than insightful, weak, dumb
clumsy, far from amiable, or frail character. If in MP mode,
pause the game, if in SP mode, not an issue. Open the inventory,
from a personal items slot, drink a potion by right clicking on
it and click Quaff/Drink (ensure that the same kind of potion
DOES NOT exist in your quick items also), switch the Tome with
the potion (pick up the book, put it down on top of potion,
put potion elsewhere). Return to game, unpause if needed. Wait.
Viola, you now bite less. This method can probably be adapted
to activate any item that has an effect targeted on the caster.

======

Only ONE Bag of Holding, Gems, Scrolls Bug:

I also found another bug {?} about the various bags in a most strange
way.

There is only ONE container of each type. Thus if you have (2) bags of
holding; any item placed into the 1st, appears in the 2nd, and vice versa.
I found this one out when my 1st bag was full of stuff, and I started to
dump stuff into the 2nd bag. It filled up in no time, and when I checked
into the bag, a bunch of the "lower level" stuff from the 1st bag was gone,
and the inventories of both bags were identical.

Editor's Note: If you think this sounds like a method for duplicating
items, think again. An item taken out of one bag is also
removed from the other.

Even if they are in separate people in the party... it works across people;
just like the shopkeeper interface.

Other Mistakes:
---------------

In the Paladin Quest you are told that an artifact lies in the hands of
"geat evil". Heh.

When Jon Irenicus is being held by the cowled wizards he tells Imoen to be
quiet to let the "fool make his judgement", however it should be spelled
as "judgment." A lot of people have emailed me about this one, saying that
judgement is just as valid as judgment. This is probably one of those cases
where a misspelling was so common that it became a valid spelling.

David Lyons refutes that argument:

Judgement (Middle English, from Old French 'Jugement') is the correct
primary spelling. Judgment, however, is also valid, but if a persistent
misspelling occurred, it was in the omission of the first 'e'. Unless
you're American, of course, in which case it may well be the other way
around (this was my first thought, but then, you spell theatre as, well,
'theatre' and not 'theater' throughout the FAQ). This is supported by the
large amount of anglo-centric slang in the dialogue (mainly in the
insults), e.g. 'Arse' and not 'Ass', which sneaks me to the suspicion it
may have been compiled by a stray Brit at Bioware.

When Baron Ployer is about to curse Jaheira, he disdains the Hero by saying
that "Khalid was a better compliment," when he should have used "complement."
Compliment is a Praise (ie "you look pretty") while Complement means that
one thing completes another or goes well with.

In one of Viconia's Romances, she mentions that her sisters are "more of a
danger and a rival then the next," when it should be "than the next."

In another of Viconia's romances, she says: "My mother wished me to recant,
to prostate myself before the Spider Queen and beg forgiveness." This should
have been "prostrate", the missing "r" gives it a whole new meaning. (from
Cyrille Artho)

If you attempt to leave the Underdark without doing the Silver Dragon quests,
while still disguised as a Drow, the guards will stop you and tell you to
go back, to which you can say "we will offer a significan increase..."
They left off the 't' in "significant."

In a conversation between Keldorn and Aerie, Keldorn tells Aerie: "Wrong?
No, to some you be the ideal." Should be "you are the ideal."

Spelling mistake: While you're searching for the artifacts in Suldanessellar,
if you attempt to pick the lock of the Castle door, it will say this:
"....Them temple of Rillifane may hold the key" instead of THE temple.
(from Cornelius Chesterfield)

Spelling mistake: When the Guardian Telwyn (Temple of Helm) gives you the Sir
Sarles quest, the character writes in his journal that he needs 200 pounds of
"illuthium" instead of illithium. (from Snark)

Grammar mistake: In Brynnlaw when you pay Calahan for Ginia and Ason's
passage he says, "There passage is assured" when it should be "Their passage
is assured." (from John Jung)

In the bard stronghold, if you speak to the players the first time you are
able to, one of them will say "out rehearsal" instead of "our rehearsal".
(Xander77)

During your first moment of weakness, after Irenicus took your soul, if Jan
is the one you talk to, he says "upsidedown" instead of "upside down".
(Xander77)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. } } } } Strange Things
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Near the Circus is a cage with a Moose... and a Squirrel. Rocky and
Bullwinkle, anyone? (many, many people sent this in)

Create an Elf and name him Drizzt. Then by Chapter 6 have a reputation less
than 12. When you bump into Drizzt... he is annoyed that you swiped his
name! Sure, he fights you for his name's honor, but it sure is funny.

Also if you imported from Baldur's Gate and had any of Drizzt's Items on you,
then Drizzt will be very upset when he meets up with you. He won't
necessarily fight you, but it could lead to that (anyone who is GOOD in your
party won't assist you, though).

In the back of the Adventurer's Mart are two paintings. Look at them closely
and also click on them. Recognize them? They are taken from the old
Dungeons and Dragons cartoon!

There's also a picture of Elvis on the second floor of the Five Flagons.
(again many people sent this one in)

Fearghus (Waukeen's Promenade) is the name of the Black Isle division
director.

There is a commoner named "Neeber" in Trademeet who constantly pesters you
with inane questions and comments. Just like a certain "Noober" used to do
in the first game.

Biff the Understudy (in the really awful theatre play) is the character that
would appear in Baldur's Gate when the regular character could not appear.
(i.e. if that character was dead, but still had something to say)

Ask the barkeeper in Imnesvale about the Umar Witch and he'll give you a
book titled "The Umar Witch Project."

The Knights of Solamnia in the Planar Sphere are from Dragonlance.

There's another, bit more obscure AD&D reference in the Planar Sphere...the
halflings. Took me a bit to place them, but the cracked dry earth and the
village built from bones...those are feral halflings from the old Dark Sun
setting. (Bill Ray)

One of Edwin's plots goes awry leaving him in the form of a woman. Jaheira
mocks, Anomen pretends to want to champion "Edwina", and so forth. Then take
"Edwina" to see Silvanus at the Copper Coronet (the Elf by the counter), who
will be quite attracted to Edwin. And Edwin is ALMOST attracted to Silvanus
as well! Not only that, but Bioware did up an entire FEMALE voice set for
"Edwina" as well! Hilarious!

Cyrando the Gnome romantic (at the Temple District at night) provides the
words for Garrick to woo a woman with. Just like Cyrano the Big Nosed
Romantic of literary fame. There are actually 4 little mini-events attached
to this one that take place over time. Eventually Cyrando and the Lady
get married and Garrick runs away with one of the bridesmaids.

One of the Sentient Sword's battle cries is: "Murder! Death! Kill!!", which
is the term for a homicide from the movie, Demolition Man. Also a reference
to the game MDK... MurderDeathKill. Get it?

In the Bridge section where the Five Flagon is located, there are a pair
of thugs that fight each other for the love of a girl named Bubbles. Their
names are Shank and Carbos. If their name is familiar, it's because they
were in Baldur's Gate. They were the thugs that tried to kill you in
Candlekeep. They hid inside houses. I'm pretty sure it's them since they
have a lot of trouble hitting each other. I've spent a minute or 2 watching
them trying to kill each other without any success. It doesn't seem to
affect the game in anyway, but it's funny to see. (from Death Crow)

In the Asylum, one of the mages gives you a worthless scroll (memo) that says
that that the scroll is worthless, that it is indecipherable and that it is
most likely the ravings of a madman. Anyways, the scroll is decipherable
although not within the game though. The text of the scroll says:

"Qc terxepssrw evi jypp sj aiewipw. Mrjsvg xli Uyiir, ws xlex wli qmklx
wlss xliq eaec. Livi ai ks ' vsyrh xli qypfivvc fywl. Ks qsioic KS!"

This translates into:

"My pantaloons are full of weasels. Inform the queen, so that she might
shoo them away. Here we go 'round the mulberry bush. Go monkey GO!"
(from Hector E. Meza)

In Chapter 4, in Spellhold, Aphril (sp?) talks of seeing a walking corpse
talking to a pillar of skulls. References to Planescape: Torment, the hero,
the Nameless One, who'll just wake up within minutes of dying. (from Matri)

Contributing to your list of Easter Eggs, on the top floor of the Five
Flagons there are what appear to be Elvis pictures on the far wall, and
guitars on other walls on the same floor. (from Per Jorner)

Here's one: William Reirrac's last name is "carrier" backwards. While
it's likely intentional, it's not necessarily a reference or a pun (people
make up fantasy names in the strangest ways). (Per Jorner)

The vampire named Durst is possibly a German pun - Durst is the German word
for "thirst", and definitely a good name for a vampire to have. Then again,
I accidentally named a character "Darsteller" (actor in German) without
thinking about it, so perhaps it's not intentional. (Brian Camley)

Rob DeCaire sent in this one:

Here's a "strange thing" that I didn't notice in the FAQ, but I thought was
a pretty good joke. In the Vulgar Monkey tavern in Brynnlaw, there's a
pirate named "Pirate Newf". If you talk to him, he sings a little shanty
that goes:

"I'se th' b'y that builds the boat
And I'se th' b'y who sails 'er
And I'se th' b'y that catches th' fish
And brings 'em home to Liza"

This is a joke for all the Canadians in the audience, since it's a fairly
well-known song from Newfoundland, sung by a character named Newf.

Voreth has some "Strange Things":

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("Boo") creates Boo (and we all know who Boo is).
CTRL+Q him to add him to your party. He's very powerful, and even has his
own paper doll. To keep him effective, don't equip any weapons in any
slots, and DO NOT LEVEL HIM UP! (requires the EnableCheatKeys() cheat to
be active)

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("Gorion") is fun, though it does require you to
exit your game once it works. If you create Gorion, talk to him and choose
a few of the dialogue choices (it's keyed to a different dialogue, so
you'll see some pretty weird, including NPC, dialogues). He'll bring you
through the BG sequence with him (bringing you over, casting Cure Light
Wounds, etc.) and bring you to a forest (area number is the same as circle
of stones in BG). There, you get stuck on a tree. Too bad. I wonder if
Sarevok would have appeared and all. Oh, and the BG loading screen appears
in front of the BG2 one, though off center and much smaller.

(Note: I've only tried this in the Docks, so if you try it somewhere else
and get different results, don't be alarmed...)

You can also create Kivan, from what I've seen, though he doesn't say
anything, his dialogues are bad, and he says what he should say on the
bottom of the screen. Still, it's pretty fun. You can do this with Drizzt
too, and get him to say some of Korgan's (voice acted) lines. So you have a
Drizzt with a Scottish accent who says "Cure Disease" at the end of his
dialogue. Answer his first question with the description of Summon Monster
I for the rest of Korgan's dialogue.

Xander77 found something interesting:

If you use CLUAConsole to teleport to AR2700 (Only works in SoA) you will
find the remains of an unfinished test - an area with giant heads (not
the one you find Illasera in) which force you to do battle with a slayer to
get a terrifying sword.

You can get the sword with CLUAConsole:CreateItem("Killsw01") -
It's sort of like PST's Eviscerator

NPC's from Baldur's Gate found in BG2 (but who don't join):

SPOILERS

Ajantis (killed at Windspear Hills by you, identified by Keldorn)
Coran (can be killed by Safana in chapter 6, or becomes a drunk)
Faldorn (seizes control of the Druid Grove, killed by you to free it)
Garrick (attempts to woo a woman, but fails)
Khalid (found dead in Irenicus' Dungeon)
Montaron (killed by the Harper's for breaking into their compound)
Quayle (currently alive and well and running a circus)
Safana (killed by Lanfear in chapter 6 after she attempts to kill you)
Tiax (locked away in Spellhold, helps the main character beat Irenicus,
dies in the attempt)
Xzar (killed by a Harper assassin at the docks)

Tutorial

Branwen
Xan

===============================================================================
{ { { { { Final Words.... } } } } }
===============================================================================

This FAQ was written entirely using the GWD Text Editor: (shareware)
http://www.gwdsoft.com/

Spiffy Links:

Planet Baldur's Gate -- http://www.planetbaldursgate.com/
TeamBG -- http://www.teambg.com/
GameFAQs -- http://www.gamefaqs.com/
Baldurdash -- http://www.baldurdash.org/
Fantasy Name Generator -- http://spitfire.ausys.se/johan/names/default.htm

Portrait Sites:

Kirith -- http://www.kirith.com/
Havak's -- http://havak.db-forge.com/index.php

_________________________
Special Thanks: (Credits)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
/Eathlon for the mathematical way of looking at dual wielding
Accord for the "keep Yoshimo" trick
Adar for several strategies
Alan Cherry for a bit on romances and the Temple Ruins
Aleph for an interesting twist to my "Fake Talk" strategy (stealing)
Alessio Ronchi for a really neat Cromwell trick
Alexander Ferguson for some bugs
Alexcool for an update on the Hendak quest
Alex Malano for the mage scroll trick
Andrea Nicoli for the limited Wish trick
Andrew Scarvell for an interesting alternative for the Selfish Tear
ANDY for a list of different abilities at the end of the game
Ard for his improved method on getting the Selfish Tear
Bioware for making such a great game!
Blackhawk for details on Edwin's quest
Boogie for the additional rewards for the Sir Sarles Quest
Brad Beacham for picking a chicken's pocket for a second Beljuril
Braden for an interesting Dragon strategy and a Tome idea
Brian Brus for the trick on creating a character with all 18 stats
Brian Camley for various helps and tips
Carl Pettersson
Chris Emery for a better way to uncurse Jaheira
Chris Norman for the alternative way to keep the Drow items
CJayC for posting this FAQ
Clayton for his Shopthrifting strategy
Cornelius Chesterfield for a trick and some stuff
Corvus Albus for a new CTRL cheat key
Craig Gibbens for a better way to find the Skinner of the Bridge District
CY Lee for his infinite Fire Giant trick
Cyrille Artho for his different way to deal with Aboleth, the fish
Daniel Pang for an evil alternative to the Drow Eggs quest
Dave Loveland for various Throne of Bhaal additions
David Haire for some additions
David Lyons for a lot of small tips, and another pro-judgement article
David Weldon for a Stealing Strategy
Death Crow for the new special ability charts
Dominic for his Evil Method of Druid Removal
Doug Scheurich for correcting a ToB mistake
Dranyth for discovering that Mordenkainen's Sword has a Greenstone Amulet
Edward Adams for a reputation note on the Tanner Murders & more on Wellyn
Gabriel for a spiffy trick to keeping Drow items in daylight
Gareth Embrey
Geoff Ulreich for a whole lot of things (party making strategies, battles)
Grack for the multiplayer as single player trick
Greymane for a Golem fighting trick
Gunslinger {[email protected]} for some pickpocketing info
Harry Smith for the Familiar Frequently Asked Question
Hector E. Meza for a strange thing in the Asylum
Henning Roes for several notable tricks (Planar Sphere and the Burial Mask)
Jafar Sadeq for many tricks and tips
James Prieels for several contributions
James Victor for a Mind Flayer strategy
Jason Cha for the Dual Wield analysis
Jayhc for a party creating strategy
Jeremy Hanson for killing the Chromatic Demon
Jeremy Treanor for a couple of battle strategies
John Howard for a note on the Soul Gem, and the Bonus Merchants
John Knudson for the Wilfred the Red quest
John Winkleman for information on removing spell protections
Jonathan Zimmerman for another Mind Flayer strategy
JP for his Cowled Wizards fighting thing
Juky & 649 of 711 for the better Snares strategy
Ken Adams for a couple of cheats and a tip
Ken Baker (Founder of TeamBG) for making some of the best BG & IWD Utilities
Kevin Chung for confirming that the Store recharge thing works
Kevin Logan for the Sorcerer Spell Charts
Khadgar for getting out of the Underdark
Konstantin for a battle strategy in the Watcher's Keep
Lani Weaver
Lucas had a better way to deal with the Unseeing Eye
Marc Oliver for a Frequently Asked Question
Matri for the Nameless One Strange Thing
Max Chen for more information on Jaheira's Curse (and how to upgrade the
Silver Horn)
Michael Schneider
Miguel for some romance information
Mike O for his Fire healing trick
Mishael for the Mind Flayer strategy
Moby for getting evil-doers to join a rep above 18 party
Nick McIsaac for the Evil Note on the Firkraag quest
Paul Dickinson for bunches of stuff
P.K. for a party making strategy and a bug
Per Jorner for a million little tips and corrections
Pieter Spronck for sending in the method of adding the Bonus Merchants
Phobia for the Invisible Door Blocker Strategy
Rabbit for the 8 Stronghold Cheat
Rakhiir for a Mind Flayer lair tip
RCL for a great many strategies
Redd Barren for the alternative way to do the Spellhold test
Rick Harder had a better way to kill Neb (by NOT killing the spirits)
ROB for the Monks wearing Keldorn's Armor trick
Robert Pay for confirming that the 2 stronghold trick works
Rolander for a lot of strategies all over
Ryan Brady who discovered that a trick to allow anyone to have a familiar
Sarina noted that the Statue in the Unseeing area had a scroll
Sergio Le Roux for the FINAL Glaicas solution
ShirouKyoji for a way to the Kobold Shaman's Staff (Sentient Sword), etc.
SloppyDogg for fixing my Thieves Guild numbers
Snark for the Gloves of Pickpocketing
Souma for an Evil Abilities strategy
SpookyScarecrow for a trick on NOT fighting the De'Arnise golems
Steotia for the Ribald's Ring of Regeneration thing
Taganath for the locations of most of the item pieces
Tetrazome for an addition to the Samia quest
The Maxx
Tim Lou for a different way to free Hendak
Tim Marshal for the defensive spin trick
Travis Archer for noting that you get 2000 exp if you repay Jan's jailer
Vash for the two strongholds trick
Vladislav Brkic for the Mazzy/Gorf quest
Wai Chu Yu for the better way to solve the Spellhold trials
Willis Su for a better Set Traps strategy
Xander77 for a great many tips and strategies
Xar for his many tips and tricks

Anyone who emails me with nice things to say, you are appreciated!

_________________________
Shameless Self Promotion:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
I have also written FAQs for:
NES: Disney Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Final Fantasy -- Magic FAQ
The Legend of Zelda
SNES: Aerobiz
Aerobiz Supersonic
Utopia: Creation of a Nation
Genesis: StarFlight
PSX: Thousand Arms -- Walkthrough
-- Forging/Dating FAQ
PS2: Madden NFL 2001
PC: 3rd Edition D&D Rules FAQ
AD&D Rules FAQ
Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast -- FAQ/Walkthrough
NPC List
Creature List
Baldur's Gate II & Throne of Bhaal -- Items List
-- Class FAQ
-- Creature List
Civilization III (incomplete)
Colonization -- the Single Colony Strategy Guide
-- the Cheat Guide
Drakan: Order of the Flame
Dungeon Hack
Icewind Dale & Heart of Winter -- FAQ/Walkthrough
Items List
Kresselack's Tomb Map (JPG)
Burial Isle Map (JPG)
Shattered Hand Map (JPG)
Icewind Dale II - Items List
Master of Magic (revision)
Messiah
Pharaoh (currently being edited by Red Phoenix)
Planescape: Torment -- FAQ/Walkthrough
Items Listing
Rollercoaster Tycoon
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
The Sims
Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar
Ultima 7: The Black Gate
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
Ultima Underworld -- Keyboard Commands
Ultima Underworld II -- Keyboard Commands
-- Spell List
All of my FAQs can be found at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/2203.html
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

________________
Version History:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Version 0.1 September 30, 2000 78k

Versions 0.2 to 5.5 were removed to save space...

Version 6.0 June 28, 2001 830k

Finished the Throne of Bhaal walkthrough. Fixed the Upgraded Familiars to
be more accurate. I had somehow missed something (Imix and the Ravager +4)
so those were added.

My comprehensive Item List is now updated to include all the Throne of
Bhaal items, you can find it at http://www.gamefaqs.com/

Also, there is now a BETA patch for ToB. If you're having trouble, I
would suggest installing it (see the Notes above).

Version 6.1 June 29, 2001 830k

Added the location of the Darkfire Bow (thanks to Dave Loveland).

Version 6.2 July 2, 2001 832k

Added a way to kill Fire Giants forever (in the Saradush section, thanks
to CY Lee).

Version 6.3 July 3, 2001 833k

Added the new cheat command that deals with Wild Mages and their wild
surges (from Vash).

Version 6.4 July 6, 2001 836k

Various small updates all over.

Version 6.45 July 8, 2001 839k

Changed the phrasing of some things, and corrected some minor errors.

Version 6.5 July 11, 2001 837k

Added a new "Demogorgon Guardians" battle strategy from Konstantin. Lots
and lots of edits.

Version 6.55 July 18, 2001 839k

Jeremy Hanson had a way to kill the Chromatic Demon pretty easily.
Baldurdash has some interesting files for Throne of Bhaal, these are now
added (http://www.baldurdash.org/).

Version 7.0 December 10, 2001 848k

After a very long break, finally updated this FAQ once more. Went through
my emails and added most everything I was sent. Also updated some of the
information in the Notes section above to include a link to the Darkest
Day (unofficial mod) and Ascension (another unofficial mod).

Version 7.1 January 18, 2002 848k

Included a link to Suburban Mod's The Darkest Day walkthrough, which can
be found in the above Notes section.

Version 8.0 September 10, 2002 876k

Added proficiencies to the Companions section. Added information on some
of the summoned monsters (see the end of the Ranger Stronghold). Created
some new Spell strategies for Larloch's Minor Drain and Draw Upon Holy
Might (In the Gameplay Strategies section). Added some neat tricks from
Xander77 (in Gameplay Strategies and Monster Fighting Strategies). Added
a new Infinite Exp Bug from wvfoos (Tiris and Raissa in the Trademeet
section). Added a link to the Kelsey romance (in Notes above).

Version 8.1 February 5, 2003 884k

Sorted out the Monster Fighting Strategies into multiple sections. Many,
many edits and corrections all over the place. Added Alessio Ronchi's
neat Cromwell trick. Added some new tips and tricks from Xar. Added
Andrew Scarvell's neat trick for the Selfish Tear. Fixed the Baldurdash
link (it is now at http://www.baldurdash.org/)

Version 8.2 February 10, 2003 892k

Added more strategies and secrets from Xander77.

Version 8.3 February 19, 2003 896k

Added the ForgottenWars unofficial add-ons to the Notes section. Added
two notes from John Howard, one on an easy way to get the "bonus" merchants
(in the Introduction) the other on the Underdark Soul Gem. Added a topic
in general strategies on magic weapons.

Version 8.4 December 22, 2004 902k

Edited the Mod information and gave it a new section to call home.
Reorganized somewhat, edited somewhat and added some stuff here and there.
Added TOB information to the kits section.

________
Stinger:
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Viconia: Minsc, that tattoo on your face. Does it have tribal significance
or did some nursery's fingerpainting class assault you with the
blue pastels?

Minsc: I do not like the tone of your voice, Dark Elf. The face I have is
the face the ladies love! Boo loves Minsc's face, too! Don't you,
Boo?

_______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This Document is Copyright 2000-2004 by Dan Simpson
Baldur's Gate II is Copyright 2000 by Bioware/Black Isle/Interplay
Throne of Bhaal is Copyright 2001 by Bioware/Black Isle/Interplay

The Spoiler Centre

Walkthroughs on Adventure Gamers | RPG Gamers - RPG news | Just Adventure Games