The sequence below is designed for a vanilla game. Although my normal installation is heavily modded I thought it would probably be easier for players to adapt from vanilla to mods than vice-versa. I think a similar sequence in an SCS-game would be slightly easier than vanilla because of the different engine behaviour (in particular the ability to drag charmed creatures across an area transition can be useful).
The script assumes that you want your PC to go up levels. Just the encounters listed would provide at least 70,000 HP over the game to give you a reasonable starting level for BG2. If you're not interested in levelling you can miss some encounters out to reduce the already low chance of a dangerous ambush.
The script also assumes a strict interpretation of solo, i.e. that you never recruit an NPC in the game. If you allow temporary recruiting this can make things fractionally easier.
Opening gambits
- shop at Candlekeep for basic equipment and complete quests as desired.
- avoid Imoen, pick up diamond and loot from ambush site, then travel south to High Hedge and East to Beregost.
- in Beregost kill Algernon and take his cloak and give Firebead his book. Buy improved equipment if desired, e.g. +1 sling. Rest, then travel back to High Hedge, along the top of the map and then west to the coast.
- Shoal can be killed using run and shoot tactics, but you can do better by charming the ogre clan and using them.
You can also use them to take out the rest of the map (sirenes to the SW provide good XP and the surgeon can be killed without losing reputation (although strangely you do lose it for Mad Arcand). Afterwards set them to fighting among each other for more XP and treasure. If you kill everything Your PC should now have around 19k XP and is ready to go back to High Hedge.
- at High Hedge travel back around north of map and then diagonally in towards castle to avoid skeletons. Kill gnolls and take Perdue's sword.
- back in Beregost give Perdue back his sword (can avoid / kill Karlat by moving / hiding behind pillars or charm him).
- charm the ogrillons to the south and use them as a meat shield to get Zhurlong's boots (they can fight each other when you're done with them so you can get letter for Mirianne); also get potions from cave.
- after dropping off letter (and Zhurlong's boots if you don't want them - though if your charisma is poor he will just pickpocket you and disappear) travel south to Nashkel down east of map (no worthwhile encounters here in vanilla).
Nashkel
- in Nashkel pick up Ankheg armour and talk to Noober. Neira can be charmed and her spells wasted (if charm fails initially you can just exhaust her spells by going in and out of door). Then use run and shoot tactics. Her AC means this is a bit tedious for a mage, but you can speed things up by charming her, changing her to fist and then positioning her to attack a couple of charmed commoners in such a way that no-one can move.
- at the Carnival kill Oopah from range and Zordral if you want (again charm him or exhaust spells going in and out and then charm him and change to fists to avoid any accidents). Also take the goods from the mage he killed and buy the amulet of shielding and necklace of missiles. For a bit of fun get Zeke to attack Oopah and pick up his scroll. For a challenge try and kill Vitiare (if you keep charming him and putting him at the back of the tent it's hard for him to pickpocket you and run away).
- travel north past Beregost and take belt from ogre (easy to shoot, or use cloak to charm a few helpers if you prefer). Also pick up +1 ring.
- at the Friendly Arm pick up (and sell) mage ring and return Joia's ring. You can avoid Tarnesh by leading him round the back of the temple and losing him before he talks. Alternatively give him a few guards or hobgoblins to play with while you nip into the temple. If you want Jaheira's potion without letting her join the party then charm her and Khalid and let her attack him at the end of the kitchen (charm any nearby commoners to avoid others going hostile).
- back at High Hedge buy wand of sleep and a potion of freedom.
- at the mine area pick up wand (to sell). If you want the healing potion probably easiest to try charming a dog. If your range ability's not too good you may want to charm Greywolf and get the local bad guys to wear him down a bit before killing him.
- in the mine go through top level. On second level use wand of sleep on the archer ambushers and then return dagger. Use cloak to charm kobolds to act as front guards all the way done to the cave. Use the kobolds there to help kill the grey oozes which could be dangerous to the soloer. In the cave try and charm the 4 kobolds already there. They can block Mulahey to make him easy to charm. After wasting his spells change him to fist then kill him (make sure he is blocked off from moving to talk to you).
- if the kobolds couldn't kill both oozes you can bring them back to the cave entrance and shoot from there (diving into the cave if you see a hit coming).
- exiting out of the back door go to the revenant tomb and return the dagger (pick up potions of invisibility and freedom). You could use scroll of undead protection from the carnival to ransack the other tombs if you want.
- back at Nashkel return letters to the mayor (if you had room for them in your inventory), return ring (if you have a means to open the locked door of the house) and charm the guards (and Minsc and the mayor if you want) to deal with Nimbul.
To the bandit camp
- at Samuel's area get scroll of magic protection and ring fire resistance (can also give him a lift if you're strong enough to carry him).
- Tranzig is another candidate for wasting spells as you pop up and down the stairs. Alternatively can charm him and use his spells yourself (also switch him to fist).
- can travel to the bandit camp overland via Friendly Arm and Peldvale. The camp is pretty easy to take over using the cloak (just make sure that avenues of approach to you are covered by charmed creatures). If you have means to hide you can go in and either search the chest directly or charm Raemon. Without that you just have time to try to charm Raemon before he talks to you. If that fails can go in and out of the tent to waste Venkt's spells (if he's casting a slow or harmless spell you can try charm again). Once one of them is charmed as a target the rest should be pretty easy. Use potion of absorption to protect against lightning trap on chest.
To the Cloakwood mines
- the traps in the spider area are the only obstacle in the Cloakwood. In the first area stick to the East of the map. In the spider area you can carefully charm trap guards to avoid having to use any potions as you work to the north. Third area stay on the south edge. Fourth area work round edge of lake and then cross the bridge and go south. If ambushed during travel just run away to the north.
- at the mine area charm the gate guards and use them to distract the party one at a time and charm them in turn. Be sure that your character is not close to the nearest guard approaching a mage so as to avoid any area attacks. Once charmed you can set them on each other. Again make sure that area responses don't get everyone and leave yourself an easy final kill (such as a mage without any spells). If you think you need some help there are plenty of other charmable guards/creatures around the map.
- in the mine if you can't hide then charm Faber before he calls guards. On the next level charm the initial group of guards and use them to clear the ghasts out of the way. After talking to Rill charm Yeslick if you want and more guards to provide a shield against Hareishan (again don't let the PC get too close). Once Hareishan is dead or charmed the rest are easy.
- the ambush on the next level could be difficult for a character with low hits, so may be a good time for the necklace of missiles. With the hobgoblins dead the rest should be easy by going up and downstairs and charming. Can now take the time to dispose of everything on the level if wanted or just go downstairs for Daveorn.
- charm door guard and then use scroll magic protection + boots of speed to charm Daveorn. Could see whether he can kill the battle horrors, but that's not essential to do. You may also want to make use of the guard and Stephan (and Daveorn if still alive) to distract the mustard jelly while taking the treasure there.
Baldur's Gate
- travel back to Friendly Arm and then up to bridge area and on to Baldur's Gate.
- you may want to pick up tomes etc, but they're not necessary. The minimalist approach would be to buy equipmnent at Sorcerous Sundries and go straight to the Flaming Fist HQ. After a few chats there you can safely investigate the Iron Throne (using 2 potions of invisibility) and get sent to Candlekeep. There you can avoid fighting Rieltar and just get arrested. Another potion of invisibility will then let you get safely through the catacombs and head back to the city.
- back at the Iron Throne head up to the top floor. On arrival use R-click to get on the exit point (so you can run away before a successful shot hits). You might want to use amulet of shielding anyway while you go up and down the stairs to charm someone. With one charmed the rest should be straightforward (still going up and down to minimise attacking time). They can then gang up on Cythandria and the ogres.
- against Slythe & Krystin charm as many of the guards and courtesans as possible to provide a shield (include Quenash to get her cloak). Can also use potions of defense and speed to avoid any accidents. You should then be able to draw Slythe out and charm him before sending him to his doom against Krystin. Use more charmed characters to draw her away if necessary to allow you to get the invitation.
Final curtain
- at the palace get as many dopplegangers as possible to chase you. With boots + potion of speed they shouldn't be able to catch you. You can safely use charm to try and pick off the dopplegangers as well (as charmed creatures attacking the Flaming Fist doesn't seem to turn them hostile in vanilla). If there are none left chasing you this is also a fun location to experiment with the Bhaal ghoul touch power.
- go through the maze invisible - it is possible to avoid all the traps by sticking close to the south wall - and bypass the waiting party.
- in the temple approach invisible until Sarevok's opening speech and then retreat. Semaj will teleport to the other end of the temple. Use scroll magic resistance to soak up all his spells and then you can easily kill him with missiles (can use potions of mind focusing to improve dexterity). Then take a potion of speed to add to boots of speed and use the necklace of missiles to attract Sarevok (if you don't go into visible range you can avoid the others coming). Use necklace and/or wands of magic missiles repeatedly to kill him (may want to use green scroll and potion to protect against fire to avoid any mishaps).
Retour en haut
