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Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition pre-game tips

Game Tip

by Mike

These tips are for those just starting to play Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition. There are no spoilers here; just advice regarding the interface and general gameplay.

PC Interface

  • To select all your party members click the bottom box at the lower right. You can also select some or all of your party by dragging a box around them.
  • To toggle labels and highlighting of doors and containers, click the lower right top box that looks like a magnifying glass. This is really helpful to see items stashed in rocks and similar oddly placed loot.
  • To toggle party AI click the lower right middle box that looks like a lantern. When the AI is on, a little flame appears in the lantern. You and your companions will use everything at their disposal, including spells, so use this wisely.
  • Press space bar to pause
  • You can see the cursor's coordinates and map area by typing x.
  • To move across an explored map quickly:
    • press M to open map
    • click on the spot you want to go
    • press M to close map
    • click to have the party walk there

Inventory page color codes

  • Red outline: an item that character cannot use
  • Blue outline: unidentified magic item. Right-click on an item to identify it. Note: you generally can still use an item even if you have not identified it, e.g. an unidentified Ring of Protection +1 will still give you +1 AC and saving throws if equipped.
  • Green outline: a scroll with a spell that an arcane caster can attempt to learn by right-clicking.
  • Bright green outline: currently equipped item.

Character build

  • Most classes can survive any playthrough on the easier difficulties. Pick one you like!
  • It is typically best to focus your character's skills. Don't put proficiency points into 5 different weapons. Start with 1 melee and 1 ranged weapon. Save weapon styles for later. Same thing for ability scores, e.g. put a fighter's points in strength and constitution.
  • Because some classes have minimum ability scores, your rolls will be higher in those classes. Rolling a ranger with ability score totalling 90+ is relatively easy compared to rolling a thief with 90.

Gameplay

  • BG1 rewards ranged attacks. This is less true in BG2. The fantastic archer you built in BG1 will less fantastic if you import her into BG2.
  • You can "recharge" magic items by selling them and then buying them back.
  • Conversations with NPCs can vary based on reaction score and main character/party composition. An interaction uses the reaction score of the character in the "main" (usually top) party position. Therefore, you can often get around a character's low reaction score by swapping in a character with a higher CHA.
  • When some companions leave or refuse to join, they are no longer available.

Difficulty settings

  • First-time players with RPG experience will probably want to start on Normal difficulty. The main difference with Core Rules difficulty is the possibility to fail at memorizing spells from scrolls, which is frankly quite annoying.
  • Insane difficulty is a nice setting for veterans of the game and its quirks.
  • Legacy of Bhaal difficulty is not recommended for players of any level. It is a real slog highly dependent on cheese (foreknowledge of what's coming and constant kiting). Your ranged combatants will burn through ammo and melee participants will frequently be one-hit. Even with a custom party of six I was done by the third area.

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