The game has a non-linear structure: there\u2019s a guiding storyline, but you\u2019re free to explore and take on sidequests at pretty much any point. In fact, depending on which companions you recruit, you may need to complete their sidequests in order to secure them. About half of the cast has something they need help with when you recruit them, and if it\u2019s not resolved in a timely fashion, they\u2019ll leave. They do give you fair Quite a few items unfortunately require identification before you can figure out what they are. This is achieved via the Lore score, which is a Bard\u2019s specialty. Mages and Thieves can also serve, although they\u2019ll be less likely to succeed. Failing that, you can also bring the item in question to a store to have it identified for a fee. Or use an Identify scroll.<\/p>\n Other item-related woes are present. Say you find a Ring of Protection. Should you find another one, you won\u2019t be able to equip both on the same character; this applies to any item which has \u2018of Protection\u2019 in its name. I have no idea Other elements that make inventory management an issue are the fact that you need to replenish ammo and the fact that there\u2019s an iron crisis in the region. This means that all iron is tainted, so any non-enchanted weapon (i.e. any generic weapon which doesn\u2019t have a +1 or +2 in its name) has a chance of breaking during combat. If you don\u2019t have a replacement handy on the spot, this can be handicapping, but you\u2019ll need to find the right balance between lugging around a bundle of spare swords and having enough inventory space left over. Still, despite being distinctly annoying, this stops being a problem once you\u2019ve outfitted all your characters with enchanted weapons.<\/p>\n There are two important elements of your party\u2019s interaction with NPCs: Charisma and reputation. Charisma is basically the leadership attribute: it determines how well a character can hold a team together, and how favourably other people respond to them. This is why it\u2019s important to place a character\u2013not necessarily your protagonist\u2013with high Charisma as party leader (i.e. in the first party slot). High Charisma lowers the likelihood of inter-companion conflicts and morale failure, grants you a discount in shops and sometimes even nets you better quest rewards. On the other hand, low Charisma may cause some quest givers and even some companions to refuse to have anything to do with your party.<\/p>\n << Back to: Combat system<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Forward to: Tales of the Sword Coast >><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The game\u2019s difficulty level mostly depends on how well you understand its combat and class mechanics, so if you\u2019re unfamiliar with D&D rules and have never played a pen-and-paper RPG before (which was my case), your first playthrough may be a tad … Continue reading ![\"Dissolving](\"https:\/\/grafskaya.club\/mysst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/dissolving-into-red-dust-is-not-a-cool-way-to-die.jpg\" "\\"Dissolving")
<\/a>You should also be prepared to keep your party healthy, especially in the earlier stages of the game. Because not only is it Game Over if your protagonist dies, but your only recourse for reviving dead companions is trekking to the nearest temple, where you can buy a Raise Dead scroll. Either that, or stock up on them beforehand. Clerics eventually learn this spell, but only at level 9, which you might not reach in this game. Jaheira also learns Harper\u2019s Call, but the same issue applies. And one more thing: it will only work if the victim\u2019s corpse is in one piece. If they\u2019ve exploded into meaty chunks from a critical hit, then they\u2019re gone for good, and you better hope you have an earlier save. Also be careful if you encounter slimes and make sure to check the complexion of your team after the fight. If anybody\u2019s turned green, just reload; otherwise, they will die in a few minutes, and you won\u2019t be able to bring them back.<\/p>\n<\/a>warning, though, so you have time to wrap things up. And if you forget which quests you’ve undertaken, there’s a “Journal” section in the menu that helpfully keeps track of them for you. The expansion, Tales of the Sword Coast<\/em>, beefs up the sidequest department by adding a very large optional dungeon called Durlag\u2019s Tower and several other sidequests. Although I wouldn\u2019t advise tackling Durlag\u2019s Tower until the later stretches of the game.<\/p>\n<\/a>All travelling is done on foot, which can become tedious. The world map is subdivided into interlinked areas, which you uncover by exiting a connecting area via the correct side of the screen (east, north, west or south). You may also run into random encounters while travelling between areas. There\u2019s a day-and-night cycle, which is indicated by a clock at the bottom left of the screen. It determines which enemies and NPCs appear in a given area and also comes into play in certain quests. As for the areas themselves, they are initially obscured with what is commonly referred to as the \u2018fog of war\u2019 (i.e. the screen is black, and the area gradually becomes visible as you explore). I\u2019m not exactly sure what purpose this serves, as, even without the \u2018fog of war\u2019, NPCs and enemies <\/a>that are beyond the party\u2019s field of vision don’t appear onscreen. Each area is also very large, and distances between areas are measured in in-game hours. This means that, after a while, your characters will become tired. This is signalled by a red symbol on their portrait and a voiced complaint along the lines of \u201ceven the most prolific adventurer must take some time to rest\u201d (Coran). Fatigue is cumulative and gradually lowers the characters\u2019 Saving Throws, so resting promptly\u2013via a menu option\u2013is in your best interests. Resting also recovers health, reverses negative status effects and recharges spells. If you\u2019re in town, it entails going inside a building or an inn first, as guards will prevent you from resting in the street. If you\u2019re in the wilderness, there\u2019s a chance that your rest will be interrupted by an enemy attack, which can be dangerous if your party is a bit banged up. Again: realistic, but hardly practical.<\/p>\n<\/a>why this rule exists except for arbitrary annoyance. Moreover, inventory space is limited. Each character has three quick item slots (i.e. items which can be used from the combat menu during a fight: this is where potions, wands, scrolls and enchanted items should go) and 16 inventory slots. It\u2019s true that, when you\u2019ve got a full party of six, this allows you to lug considerable amounts of swag, but that doesn\u2019t make your pockets bottomless. In addition, each character has a weight limit, determined by their Strength. If you overshoot that weight allowance, they\u2019ll be encumbered, and will either move slower or be unable to move at all. In short, hand your heavy stuff to your frontliners.<\/p>\n<\/a>That being said, to make your life easier, don\u2019t pick up every single bit of loot that drops and sell off anything you won\u2019t need for your characters or for a quest. Sell weapons and armour in bulk, if possible, otherwise you’ll gradually get less money if you keep selling the same item to one merchant. Also worth noting is the fact that most shopkeepers\u2013with the exception of smugglers or thieves\u2013won’t buy stolen items (which a character has pickpocketed from an NPC or stolen from another shop), so make sure you’re going to use an item or have someone to sell it back to before pilfering it.<\/p>\n<\/a>Reputation has similar effects. It\u2019s measured on a scale of 1 to 20, and can be gained by resolving conflicts in a helpful and chivalrous manner, or lost by getting caught stealing or murdering innocent people, for example. Alternatively, donating a certain amount of money to a temple can also grant a reputation bonus. Evil characters will leave the party if reputation rises above 18, and Good ones will bail if it falls below 2. If it falls as far as 1, Neutral characters will leave as well. However, reputation that low is inadvisable even for Evil parties, as, starting from 5, there will be a likelihood of attack by a group of mercenaries every time the party enters a new area. Moreover, any reputation below 10 will cause a gradual price increase in shops, up to the point where merchants will simply refuse to sell their wares if it hits 1. Conversely, starting from a reputation of 15, shop prices will gradually go down, reaching a 35% discount at 20. In effect, this means that Good parties will have an easier time of things. Evil parties will have to maintain a precarious balance: a low enough reputation to keep companions happy, but high enough to avoid attack and not be too taxing on the wallet. Although I\u2019m not sure I agree on that last restriction: surely an Evil character could simply bully or blackmail a shopkeeper into giving them a discount?<\/p>\n<\/a>A final remark: when exploring dungeons or areas where spiders are susceptible to be active, do keep a Thief on point with “Detect Traps” active. There’s quite a few of them around, and some are particularly deadly. The same thing applies every time you find a chest or any other container with loot, especially if it’s locked. Better safe than dead, I always say.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n