Baldur's Gate (SCS) - Quick Leveling Guide for early game

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Fast early game leveling guide 0 - 32k exp for max experience when recruiting companions! For some more Baldur's Gate (and cousins) content: BG1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZbVlneNabCKY6c SoD: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpXHiYZtj52Yfqs BG2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2WUeYynl7-socU IWD: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWbdmHqlgNGDq68 Hope this guide was useful to you! Any questions feel free to ask :D

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@Xavier Foisset animate dead summons from pure clerics in bg1 is an excellent suggestion, thanks for bringing that up. The summons from animate dead aren't very strong at the start but once they get upgraded at cleric lvl 7 I believe (?) they become very very strong. I always use them a lot when playing with a pure cleric in the party

[@o8livion]

you did a good job by explaining how to gain exp via quests. but the most important thing you didn't mention, maybe youdidn't even know: you can import characters. they keep their experience and their inventory. which means you can not only repeat the most profitable quests, but also duplicate items. and thats where it becomes interesting. drizzts swords, the books of strength, dexterity, charisma... you can max out everything. ah, good old times, where developers let you grind and maxout everything if you wanted to, without hexeditors. you even can import your baldurs gate 1 characters in baldurs gate 2. and the addon.

[@bradmenpes809]

If you have a Thief (or multi Thief) with 18 Cha, and speak to the nobles downstairs in the inn, and tell them when prompted that they might be better received in Candlekeep if they don't wear their expensive jewels, the woman will go upstairs and put them away. Your Thief can then go upstairs and (if you've put all of your starting points in Open Lock - I usually have around 65%) unlock the chest/drawer she put them in and you'll get a star sapphire and two other jewel items which you can sell to Winthrop for nearly 2000 gold. Need gold to buy the Katana as a starting item? No problem!

[@toprak3479]

Darn I never knew about this. There's so many cool details in this game, it still surprises me.

[@platinum10000]

Damn, that's bad ass! Thanks for the hint

[@krunchyfrogg]

An 18 CHA and STR barbarian can bust the chest open while raging as well.

[@Valerik01]

Also, if you're not able to open the lock you can talk to them then when you return late in the game you can open it for the additional items. Probably not needed by then, but cool that it works.

[@Magnus_Strand84]

MVP comment

[@Ttavoc]

You see the importance of the game and its influence when you still see guides and Lets Plays for it after so many years. As alan Wake said: „Its not a lake - it is an ocean“

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Baldur's Gate is eternal :D

[@zzodysseuszz]

⁠@@CoredumpedGaming **sudden shotgun being cocked can be heard echoing from the distance somewhere**

[@talon2talon757]

I usually buy stone to flesh scrolls, charm a basilisk with Algernon’s Cloak, buff it with protection from petrification, and use it to constantly petrify one greater basilisk. Every time it’s petrified, you get the 7,000xp, then you just use a stone to flesh on it, rinse and repeat. You get 32k xp, or as much as you want, in Mutamin’s Garden that way. That is the super cheese version though. Using this method you don’t even need Mutamin’s Garden, you can even do it with basiliks during transitions, or the ones in durlag’s tower for virtually unlimited xp.

[@VanGuard600]

There is actually 8 lesser basilisks in the Mutamin Garden area. The last one was a little bit to the right of the wizard.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Sneaky little lizard eluded me! Thanks for letting me know :D

[@AdrianEarnshawMusic]

I've been playing BG since the very very beginning. This is one of the best guide's I've seen on how to level up quickly.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you very much :D

[@TheRytchusOne]

I've been playing BG for over 20 years and still picked up a few tricks from this vid. Nicely done!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Baldur's Gate has so many hidden and quirky things, it's one of the reasons I love it so much. I often learn something new just by talking to other fellow gaters and/or watching them play.

[@xenbre]

Amazing video, I came back to BG1 after about 20 years and this video was just the thing I was looking for to skip few early levels. Keep up the good work! :)

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you very much and good luck on your run! :D

[@dinksmallwood5561]

This is grade A content right here! I've been playing these games since they were released, but even I had no idea that you could cheese Firebead for 300.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you very much for your kind comment :D Yeah, there's lots of little things hidden throughout the games.

[@BG1435q]

Gotta love games that were made with so much passion. hard to find games like this these days. everything is made just to grab as much money from costumers as possible.

[@checkyourfax]

You can do it a second time in Beregost

[@davecam4863]

Pretty awesome guide here. One thing to note, if you recruit people before you hit the exp cap they will remain at their original level and not get the 32k EXP that new party members get when you first recruit them. Pretty easy fix is to just export your character and start a new game, that way you can get everyone you want at level 6. You can actually use this guide to level up multiple characters and export them, then load a custom party all at level 6.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I think I mention that regarding the companions not getting exp if you recruit them, leave them and come back for them later, but exporting the character so that you can then recruit everyone freely is something that I've never done but seems like a very good solution for that issue! Thanks :D

[@VanGuard600]

The 300 gold trick with Firebead works twice. First in candle keep and then when you are getting him the back. The same thing just interact 30 times and wait a bit.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

You mean to say when you give him the book in Beregost?

[@alancats]

Fantastic video, Loremaster -- thank you for sharing your expertise and guidance! Very useful tips and tricks for novices and experienced players, alike, playing this fantastic RPG.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you very much kind sir! Always happy to hear that these guides are being useful :) Welcome to the channel :D

[@MrGaribex]

My man! I just started playing BGEE after finally being able to succeed IWDI and II. I got frustrated with the difference between these two games being BG much more quest orientated and open to do as you wish. This guide made the game start much more fun to go through! Thanks! :D

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Enjoy my friend! :) baldur's gate is definitely much more story heavy and given to exploration than iwd without a doubt. It makes it better as well for that reason, and many others as well like having companions with their unique personalities and such, but for people who enjoy a more combat focused experience iwd might be better suited. Both excellent games and both have playthroughs here in the channel :D

[@jargraroch3000]

If you're cool with mods, then use the Level One NPCs mod to eliminate the problem of worrying about what level the NPCs are when you recruit them. The component is called: "Joinable NPCs more closely match the PC's experience - Optional".

[@Isomnophilia]

Always struggled with this games early game but with this guide, it optimises everything! First time i tried a sorcerer, Evermemory ring is so useful!!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Evermemory is one of those little hidden things that are just game changing for casters :D

[@nastyserani]

Fantastic video and guide, love that you are having fun whilst making the guide.

[@ThatDeviant]

Fantastic guide, this is going to really help me out. It's blasphemous that you haven't gotten the equivalent of subscribers equal to the views for this video. You came across as very friendly and with a nice sense of humour. I shall very much look forward to more content of yours, especially of Baldurs Gate 2 and Icewind Dale.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you very much good sir! Always happy to hear that it was useful :) Looking forward to hearing your exploits in those awesome games as well :D

[@User-jo7jp]

its important to mention that if you take out shoal the neried without speaking to her first you miss out on the second best helmet in the game.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Very true, thanks for pointing that out in case I missed it in the video. The helm is not game changing or anything, but it is indeed a very nice piece of armor.

[@jamesbear8862]

This guide has been so helpful, thanks! Just one small problem: it doesn't work on Imoen! So maybe it has something to do with playing on Switch, but when Imoen tried to speak to me immediately after Gorion's death, I ran east, without initiating any conversation at all, let alone allowing her in my party. I followed this guide to 32k exp, came back, and found her at the original spot. She joined my party, and is level 2 (1304exp). Went to FAI to recruit Jaheira and Khalid and they have 32k exp as expected. But despite that little hiccup, this is a really helpful guide, thank you 🙂

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Yeah, this is something that has been brought up in a few other comments and it seems to be specific to Imoen, which is a bit of a shame and also somewhat weird that they did it like that. I think it's because they want/expect people to dual class her to mage and as such don't boost her experience (just tossing ideas out there, not sure the actual reason). Also, I love your doggie :D

[@HeyYouSA]

I laughed when you said to tell imoen to piss off

[@fyrestorme]

had just over 40k xp by the time I finished your video guide here. Thanks! :D

[@Dragooncore]

This video helped me a lot. You rock, dude. Thanks for the great video!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you good sir :D Glad to hear it was helpful!

[@zenhaelcero8481]

Thanks for this, man.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you for your comment :) It is my pleasure! Happy to hear you are enjoying it!

[@TheDarkWizard666]

Yet again, most helpful. Thanks man.

[@mrjeevy7720]

Amazing, I was really struggling with this game. Thank you!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Glad to hear my friend :D now godspeed and go save the sword coast!

[@scottmusial5500]

If you have charm immunity, like a Cavalier, sirens on the coast are worth 2k each. There are 6 near the flesh golem cave

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Indeed, farming some enemies is definitely worth a lot of experience. It can be a bit more specific though, such as you correctly state, needing the charm immunity for the sirens. The Ankhegs are also quite farmable if you have someone with command and/or sleep.

[@scottmusial5500]

​@@CoredumpedGaming Also Tiax can summon a ghast in case Korax gets killed. Also petrification immune. Ive actually never tried to summon the ghast, then dump Tiax and see if the ghast stays in the party. I might have to try that.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@scottmusial5500 that is very interesting. Never thought about that. I also usually take tiax with the party before we find coran so this never came up but that does sound like a cool thing to explore. I guess it also depends on how long the summon lasts (don't have a way to check right now). Thanks a lot for this!

[@redcodekevin]

Does the Potion of Clarity obtained at the beginning grant protection from the siren's charm?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@redcodekevin indeed it does :D

[@shantilus]

Fantastic quick level guide.

[@willkiodin]

First time on Baldurs Gate and struggling on Core Rules since I'm underleveled - chapter 3 and still level 1 lol. I'm kind of glad that I found your video, but also, pissed off by some design choices this game has. Of course there is the D&D 2nd edition rules to blame for most of the issues. Even so, the game throw companions at you - which will share your exp, rush you to go to Nashkel, and at the same time punishes you for not doing exploration and side content enough before all of this. I'm having a blast anyway and I'm willing to take it lightly since it's a 1998 game. Thank you for this video!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

My pleasure friend, glad to hear it was helpful :) As for the companions rushing you it does feel a bit weird that some of them have timed quests for sure, I guess at some point I'm just so used to them that I can take care of it without issues but especially for newer players it can be a bit frustrating. I will say though that I believe only a few of them are actually timed. You would have to double check the wiki as I'm not 100% on this at the moment but for example jaheira and khalid, even though they tell you right away that they want to go to nashkel, they won't be upset if you decide to explore the entire map before going there. Other characters like kagain or edwin though, will leave the party if you don't take care of their quests in a certain time period. Best of luck for your run and feel free to drop by with any questions or just to share progress :D

[@willkiodin]

@@CoredumpedGaming I thought Jaheira could leave the party so I went rushing to Nashkel. Kagain is my party as well so I had to rush on his quest before losing him. I tend to avoid checking on wikis and guides before trying to discover things by myself, but BG is harsh to that approach. lol About my campaign: what I will do now is dismiss everyone and do that Basilisk grind you've mentioned, just to get out of level 1 a little. let's see how that goes...

[@MarkofWisdom]

3 minutes-Oh, so *that's* how that works! No one else ever actually says the specifics of it, just 'talk to him 30 times for 300 gold'. I was wondering if it was bugged or something, or maybe even meant to be the firebead in beregost. Not sure if I'll be doing another run of BG1 anytime soon, but nice to finally see how it's done the early power leveling-something that might be helpful to add is that people who want to start gaining reputation quickly should grab 1-2 stone to flesh scrolls from the beregost temple (1 if they just want the reputation point, 2 if they also want to get branwen and use her), and then unpetrify the lady that is below the first 2 basilisks in the NW part of the map, then say you don't want a reward for some exp and +1 reputation. You can also grab either a sling+1 and bullets from thunderhammer smithy in beregost for classes that want/have that as their ranged option, or some throwing daggers (also from the smithy) shoal part-you can grab/keep someone you don't care about losing/dying (or don't mind paying to revive), have them talk to shoal and get killed in the dialogue (unless they somehow pass the save, which I've so far only seen happen once), and then after beating shoal up a bit she'll surrender and you can agree to help her, then you can kill the ogre mage that spawns in for another 975 exp (or something like that) and the helmet of defense, a really good helmet (+1 save, +20% resist for fire, ice, and electric damage), and then kill shoal (using force attack to have your party members attack her since she turns nonhostile before the ogre mage spawns) without talking to her again for the 5k exp she gives. The helmet of defense is one of the best helms in the game, and definitely the best one you can get early on, so it's worth attempting killing the ogre mage if you want to get the helmet and extra exp, or putting off attempting the shoal part until you feel more confident in your character/party

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Agree with everything you said but will just make a note about shoal: you can do this for sure, but I would not do it solo. On SCS the ogre mage is a real threat that needs to be killed quickly. Having a cleric help out and some decent attackers would be my suggestion as the "command" spell brings the ogre down and then it's a matter of killing him before he gets back up. It is a really nice helmet!

[@MarkofWisdom]

@@CoredumpedGaming I've not played with SCS, but ogre mages even in the vanilla game are pretty tough enemies to beat, especially ones like kahrk that have lots of pre buffs on before the battle even starts. Having a cleric to use command on the ogre mage makes it an even better idea to grab branwen (or viconia if you want to use branwen long term and don't want to make her miss the 32k exp starting point), since even if the exp is divided between you and her, it should still be enough combined with everything else to clear the 32k exp mark. Anyways-yeah, the ogre mage is a tough opponent, which could make it worth waiting until you've got more party members and better gear to have a better chance at safely beating him

[@WillyLee23]

This is a pretty good video for showcasing a lot of content. But if you're playing vanilla, "Command grinding" ankhegs may be slightly faster to get to level 6 rather than using up a lot of time running around. Just pick up a cleric, load him/her up with Command spells and go to town on some ankhegs at the farm by spamming the rest button, using command, and spanking the ankheg when it pops up. Kinda like whack-a-mole at Chuck E Cheese. I pick up Viconia because she is close to the ankhegs, but you could swing by the carnival and get Branwen if you need a Good-aligned cleric or if you're saving Viconia to pick up later after your MC hits lvl 6. I rolled a new character while I was watching this video on a 2nd monitor, and by the time it ended I had MC, Imoen, and Viconia at level 5. If I only duoed the ankhegs, I probably would have had MC and Viconia both at level 6. Plus, you make a LOT of money this way along with the XP. All three characters were decked out with +1 weaponry from Thunderhammer by the end, and I still had a bunch of money. Weight doesn't even matter; if you grind on the southern edge of the ankheg farm and you can fast travel to the temple you don't have to worry about carry weight either. Grind a bunch of ankhegs, implement the red Quick-loot button (so you can pick up all the shells without having to walk to each one), fast travel to Temple, then fast travel to Beregost. Being overweight/encumbered doesn't matter for fast travel. Once you are at Beregost, you only need one person to be able to walk into Thunderhammer smithy and talk to the merchant. Because you sell the shells through a special dialogue, you don't need your overweight people to walk into the smithy too-- they can just stand outside, breaking their backs while holding a dozen shells a piece. The method goes by quick once you get it down. I'm not sure if it works with SCS because Command may have been nerfed, idk. But peace! I wish you guys a great time while adventuring around "the Gate". EDIT: I tried the run again as just a duo. It is NOT faster. I may have hit level 4 before you did in the video, but after that the ankheg grinding fell off and your questing overlapped me.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Yep, ankheg farming is definitely viable. A lot of people like that, others also like to farm the sirens. Command and sleep both still work on SCS so you can for sure do this :)

[@ethosterros9430]

Ankeg til 3 or 4 def feels less cheese

[@dive_bomb3r]

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that the basilisk area cannot be made 100% with SCS. Mutamin sometimes solo'es Korax easily with Melf's Acid Arrows and then you have Mutamin chase you with 3 other basilisks because of Improved Calls for Help. I was Fighter/Cleric at the time, so I abused Command on Ankhegs (950 xp a pop) to make up a difference (I leave him for last). He's also part-psychic - if you come later from another direction with a party, he goes there immediately, he's probably scripted to find you to prevent some cheese. You should probably have mentioned that if you're a part cleric, it's easier to just go Ankheg hunting after Basilisks, because Command always sticks (they're level 3), so if you keep spamming that it's 100% safe. Mage with Sleep is insufficient, they save often and you sometimes don't have damage output (low strength) to kill them before they wake up. Very scary as a mage, would not recommend, you can get one-shot if sleep fails.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Good points, thanks for mentioning this. Regarding Mutamin I don't think I've ever had him manage to kill Korax (I also play with Improved Calls for Help) but it is definitely possible for sure if our friendly ghoul manages to not stun him several times in a row. In that case your best bet really is to just leave the area and do something else (or quick load if you're not playing in a no-reload run). As for the Ankhegs, if you have command available on someone with reliable and consistent damage (a fighter/cleric is a very good example as you mentioned) Ankheg farming is definitely a way to get a LOT of experience early on as well.

[@fredrichardson9761]

Excellent guide! Thank you!

[@Gazsta]

Fantastic guide! Thank you for making it

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you good sir :) Happy to hear it was useful!

[@alancats]

I just beat Throne of Bhaal/Enhanced Edition, after close to six months of play across the entire saga. Spike traps are my new best friend, LOL. In Shadows of Amn, for some tough battles against groups in Watcher's Keep and the Twisted Rune Hideout, I used my own "hit and run" strategy. This involves buffing the party, teleporting into the room, taking out one enemy (or, two, depending upon how things go), and, teleporting out. Rest and re-buff and repeat, as needed. I will say that for Baldur's Gate I, my favorite area for quick experience and gold harvesting is the Ankheg area. If you don't mind re-loading after the occasional unfortunate death, this is a quick and efficient way to gain quick experience points and some ducats.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Congrats on your ascension :D Spike traps are insanely powerful lol they punch through everything! Finding strategies to deal with tough fights is a lot of fun in these games and feels very rewarding. As for bg1 I agree, the ankegs are pretty much an experience farm, especially if you have access to command or sleep, if not they can be quite dangerous :p

[@alancats]

Thank you, Loremaster. I've heard criticism of the spike traps as being too powerful, but, in my opinion, they allow for some very fun ambush scenarios. I agree -- the great thing about Baldur's Gate is that battles can be fought and won with varying tactics and strategies. I'm actually replaying the entire saga, again -- my party is a half-orc berserker, a half-orc barbarian, a half-orc fighter-thief, a dwarf fighter-cleric, a half-elf dragon disciple (sorcerer) and an elf wild mage. I figured the wild mage would keep things interesting, LOL.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@alancats lol i approve of that party, and yes, the wild mage will keep things interesting without a doubt ahah

[@paulschaaf8880]

One more comment about the basilisk area. I'm not sure if it's due to the options I picked in SCS, but Mutamin actually kills Korax pretty often in my game, usually when he summons monsters. You can still solo the basilisks without him but you probably need that second scroll of protection without his damage output. Actually killing Mutamin if he kills Korax is more of a problem since he usually casts sleep on you and in my game at least, that works on me almost 100% of the time.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I've never seen Mutamin kill Korax before. But then again, I don't think I've seen him summon monsters either. Might depend on the SCS version and if his spells got changed. Not sure if this influences it, but I always move away from Mutamin's line of sight once I send Korax to bite him, I just wait until I hear the "paralyze" sound to go back in. But yeah, if Korax dies... Trying to kill Mutamin by yourself is probably a death sentence. edit - one way to help the situation if this happens to you often, would be clearing out all other basilisks in the area before going for Mutamin. That way, if he kills Korax and you need to escape, you have most of the experience already.

[@paulschaaf8880]

Yeah that's the way I've been doing it. I kill the 2 lesser ones up at the top first, then go kill the ones down at the bottom and then go for Mutamin. What I do is send Korax to attack him and retreat to where I'm just out of sight, wait for Mutamin to cast something, then move in and shoot him once with a ranged weapon, retreat again, repeat til he's dead hopefully. There is a cooldown after he casts something so he can't instantly cast again til the next round.

[@zzodysseuszz]

@@CoredumpedGamingmutamin killed my Korax just now

[@iTunsiscool26]

Armor class going *down* meaning it's better is something that's hard to wrap my head around with modern games 😵‍💫

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Well, to be fair, in modern games armour class improves by going up. In these old DnD editions it was still done like this and led to a lot of confusion by a lot of players. Myself included... the first time I played the game I was walking around naked thinking it was better :p

[@maverickchurch647]

Wow, nice video, dude! Very smart! Thank you!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you good sir :D glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[@ThanatosZero]

I always go for Shipwreck's Coast at the start, because if you wish to level up Charname themselves fast, it is the best place, before going in for basilisks. The lighthouse area comes next due having the cave having flesh golems, which can also spawn during a rest, which can be super useful. I once played a Kensei using BG1Tutu before EE was a thing and I loved to gain there lots of power back then.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Interesting, how do you kill the fleshgolems early on? They require magical weapons in order to be hurt and they hit like trucks. Also, how do you reach and leave the cave? There are so many enemies outside including sirens. Purchase invisibility potions for that effect?

[@ThanatosZero]

@@CoredumpedGaming There are many ways. And invisibility is one of them. As for weapons, there are many ways as well. One is to kill the necromancer west of Beregost which has a bounty on his head and use the money to get yourself a fine longsword +1. Also south of Nashkel, there is the bountyhunter Greywolf, which has Varscona, a Longsword +2, which deals +1 frost damage additionally. To beat Greywolf, you will need to reload a couple of times, because he isn't a slouch in battle either. Also in regards to the sirens, save scumming with ranged weapons can help as well. If you disrupt their spells, they will be more manageable with hit and run tactics. Potions, which are stackable are your friend.

[@AdryanBlantz]

@@CoredumpedGamingpoison arrows work great on flesh golems.

[@nineflames2863]

Just did Tarnesh and well, it was pretty hilarious. I'm playing a Berserker so all I needed to do was get right in his face before he could talk to me, then rage and laugh at his pitiful attempts to CC me while beating the crap out of him lol. Anyway, great guide. I've tried getting into BG1 a few times by now but I never really got past the early levels since the game is a bit of a slog in the beginning. So yeah, being able to skip the boring/frustrating part like this was very helpful :)

[@CoredumpedGaming]

A berserker is a really good kit :D their ability to make themselves immune to so many effects is such a boon, Tarnesh being a great example of it! Also cool to just stab him with a thief from stealth and one shot the bugger before he can cast his nasty spells :D

[@lorgren4002]

Very useful video. I managed to kill Basilisk without scroll of protection but of course I had to reload a few times :S

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Without a scroll of protection? You are a brave soul! How did you manage that?

[@lorgren4002]

@@CoredumpedGaming I admit I didn't kill every Basilisk so gained less xp than you in the video. it took lot of time and reloads.:D ghoul was always attacking first and I prayed they don't notice me :D

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@lorgren4002 Fair enough :D No shame in reloading btw, it's a very valuable and useful strategy!

[@lorgren4002]

Yeah. I may try no reload run in the future but right now I don't feel like I know the game well enough to do it :D

[@homelessjesse9453]

@@CoredumpedGaming Use Corax to attack them before he turns on you.

[@mbalazs3544]

12:16 or you can just use Sleep spell (wiz/sorc) or command for bigger ones (cleric) to knock enemy's down and kill them :D

[@ancientloser]

Is waiting until 64K XP not possible? Asking for my fighter/thief/mage character :) Thanks a lot for the amazing guide and fun video!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

You can pickup your companions any time you want, but the maximum experience they will have when you pick them up is 32k. So, if your character has 32k exp they join at 32k exp; if your character has 64k exp they will still join at 32k exp. But yes, if you just want to soak as much experience as possible for your character, feel free to farm a bit before picking them up. Farming Ankhegs is a way to get some very nice experience and there are 3 greater basilisks at the start of Durlag's tower (once you enter, go up one floor, and you can exit the tower to the outside, they are there.) worth 21k exp. You can also farm Sirens (just make sure you are safe from their charms) repeatedly, etc. Also, thank you for your comment, happy to hear you are enjoying it :D

[@Byssbod]

Jim Cummings as the main character is still bizarre as fuck. I can't deal with that voice pack Though i like him just fine when he's Minsc. Its his 'Pete' voice that i simply can't deal with

[@Metzok]

Very helpful, many thanks!

[@FluffyFractalshard]

this is oddly satisfying 🥰

[@greatdude7279]

Thieves can gain EXP very fast. Mutamin's garden = 25000 EXP Using the victor ring to kill shandalar (fire, move away stealth and repeat) = 26000 EXP Killing drizzit = 8000 EXP

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I would say killing drizzt or shandalar at this point in the game would fall under "more advanced strategies" :p

[@markgalioto8305]

Best video of its kind

[@ndrskarpi]

Pelo teu sotaque vi logo que eras português xD bom vídeo, muito útil!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Ahah o sotaque não dá hipótese :p Bom de ouvir, obrigado!

[@homelessjesse9453]

Use Corax to attack the Basilisks. You'll level up at least twice.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Yes, mr. Korax is an important part of this guide, seen here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4Srqayqh9ieadE :)

[@TasmanianTigerGrrr]

Hey ya, its me Imoen!!!!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

*shoots arrow in direction of annoying voice*

[@LucasMusser]

I'm going to use this thanks!

[@darkzones3d612]

i never played bg1 and not planning to play but i played bg2 a lot and enjoying the video

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I totally understand the feeling and preference for BG2. Not going to try to convince you to play it, but the enhanced edition does make playing BG1 much more enjoyable that the original. Naturally the player doesn't reach the power level you get in BG2 but it's still a very enjoyable experience.

[@darkzones3d612]

@@CoredumpedGaming never even tried bg1 but i played icewind dale 1. i feel like its too difficult to play on low level with just a few spells + just two arrows are enough to kill a mage on low levels. thats the main reason. also i never finished bg2 (started about 5 plays xd never finished)

[@paulschaaf8880]

This works great overall but I have noticed a few issues for certain NPCs. If the NPC is a class that reaches level 6 at 32k xp then they will be level 6 and have 32k xp when you do this, which is ideal. If they're a class that reaches level 6 BEFORE 32k then they will be level 6 but will only have whatever xp is required for them to be level 6. Imoen for instance will only have 20k, Branwen will only have 27.5k or something (I think that's what clerics need). Neera will be level 5 with 20k since mages need 40k for level 6. Jaheira doesn't level up at all with this method in my game. If I go get her and Khalid, Khalid will be level 6 with 32k xp but Jaheira will be level 1 with 0xp. Not sure if that's a base game issue or some mod conflict. I'm using SCS, Tweaks Anthology, and Unfinished Business.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hi, this behaviour you are experiencing is definitely some kind of conflict. I also use SCS and Tweaks and I just tested this. Jaheira joins with 16k on each of her multi classes and Branwen joined with 32k. Do you have any component installed from Tweaks that changes the way the characters level up when they join the party? That would be the first place I would check edit - I had forgot to check Neera, she joins at level 5 with 32k exp for me.

[@paulschaaf8880]

@@CoredumpedGaming The only thing I can think of is that one of the mods I'm using has an option for something like "consistent stats" for a few characters and Jaheira was one of them. I'm going to try uninstalling that component and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for the reply.

[@paulschaaf8880]

Oh I forgot to mention one other thing I noticed. You don't actually have to avoid having an NPC join you initially to level them up this way. It works on Imoen for instance even though she joins you immediately. I think it only works if they have not gained level 2 yet though. So for instance you can grab Imoen, Xzar, and Monteron, go get yourself set up for the basilisk area, disband them all, then do the basilisks and whatever else you need to hit 32k, then pick them all back up again and they'll all level up (except Jaheira for me, hopefully I can fix that).

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@paulschaaf8880 No, and this actually seems to confirm the suspicion of what I was saying before. You must have something that modifies the way NPCs level up or join the party in your game. If you pick up a companion for a little bit, reform the party to disband them, level up and then go pick them back up, they have exactly the same exp they had before. edit - this is my WeiDU log from BG1 with the components I have installed from my mods: pastebin.com/XsyAEZ6u compare it with yours to see if you can find something related to companion experience (this file is in your installation directory). I would say the components from CDTWEAKS are probably causing this, but also check STRATAGEMS.

[@paulschaaf8880]

@@CoredumpedGaming Ok thanks. I was just in the process of retesting again after reinstalling mods. I have TOB style leveling installed for Anthology, maybe I need to disable that, although it sounds like doing that would mean that Imoen can't be leveled up that way since she automatically joins you. I would rather have Imoen than Jaheira so that would be a shame. I wonder if you can run away from her before she talks to you? Might try that.

[@anonymous1177]

Mate you can farm the Ankhegs in the area noth of the Friendly Arm all day, they even respawn.

[@tiny_blade]

I just started playing this game because it was on sale on ps4 for ten buck. This has helped me out tremendously and I feel like I have a much better chance at beating this game. BTW what is the best armor for a elf Ranger archer subclass?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hello and welcome to the channel! Happy to hear this helped out :D In terms of armor for an archer you don't really have any special choices in BG1. The best one is going to be a studded leather armor +2 that you can get off a hunting party south of nashkel. Their leader's name is Sendai. They're not very nice people so just kill them and get the goodies :p if you find them to be too hard for your party you can just come for them later on. If you want any more tips you can also check out this video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3PWc6qEod6Ne7c and of course feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to help out :) Have fun!

[@nigelambler530]

Great Video , quite a few things i will try out next time, Also not sure if you knew but in 2nd edition AD&D fighters can use protection scrolls.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you :D And also thanks the reminder about the protection scrolls. That's something I mention I think at the end of the video as an alternative way of dealing with the basilisks as you can get a protection scroll from the nashkel carnival and that removes the need to pick up any companions at the start.

[@FangedBeauty]

Fantastic video! Thanks 😊 Got 1 strange question: After all these years, there is still a level cap for the pc and the companions? Hitting a lvl cap is so fun-destroying, that I wonder why it's in there in the first place.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Thank you :D Yes, there is still a level cap for the pc and companions, which to be fair, if you're not actively and intentionally grinding for exp you really only reach by the end of the game and only if you're doing pretty much all quests. The experience cap can be removed however using one of the most commonly used mods (Tweaks Anthology) if you like. It's one of the mods I am using in my playthrough in the channel although I don't usually install that particular component.

[@TheRytchusOne]

I've experimented with getting a few characters up to 32K XP solo since watching this and have a few thoughts to share. First, let me mention what I have chosen NOT to do while managing to be successful. Not to imply that these are bad ideas, I simply choose to avoid them if possible. Other players may find them preferable to my path. I avoid: 1) Shoal the Nereid. Sacrificing the Katana and the helm is a high price to pay. 2) Tarnesh. I'm scared to approach him solo (with SCS installed). DON'T JUDGE ME!!! 3) Landrin's house. No point in wasting the oil of speed if you refuse to approach Tarnesh. However, when you turn in Perdue's Sword you will aggro Karlat. If enemies follow you outside of building in the version of the game you are playing, you could use the oil of speed to kite Karlat, and then go kill the spiders if you are fast enough (untested). My thoughts (I'm assuming the reader will check the Baldur's Gate Wiki or some FAQ for details): 1) Weapon speed matters a lot. Starting off with a halberd or a crossbow because you want to role-play that way will be painful. Consider rejecting any weapon with a speed factor higher than 4. The faster the better. 2) At level one, you can safely travel to Nashkel Mines (grab the frost wand) and then to Gibberling Mountains. Talk to Hafiz for your Protection from Magic scroll. Pick up your Ring of Fire Resistance. Find Samuel and Lena for an easy 500 XP. If a wolf attacks you, run to the Flaming Fist soldier for help or just flee the zone and try again if you're not strong enough to kill it. 3) While you're there, you may consider risking the Valley of the Tombs to get a free and easy Heart of the Golem (speed factor 0) dagger. Use it for a while and/or hand it over to its owner for an easy 900 XP if you really need it to reach your 32K. However, know the map and flee if you run into something you can't handle. 4) On the way down south to the mines (South Beregost Road), you may be able to kite the Ogrillons for the quest Mirianne's Husband (300 XP, another ring +1) or possibly recover Zhurlong's Missing Boots (300 XP or keep the boots), but I would suggest leveling up first. 5) South of this (North Nashkel Road), there is Colquetle's Family Amulet (EE only 250 XP). Please avoid this at level one. 6) I don't recall if Noobler was mentioned in the vid. Don't forget Noobler! (400 XP) Also don't forget your Ankheg Plate Mail while you are in Nashkel. Remember to avoid the inn at level one... 7) Come back later to the Carnival to talk to The Great Gazib and The Amazing Oopah once you have leveled a bit (270 XP). Don't rescue Branwen yet. Save a Stone to Flesh scroll for later... 8) Wiping out the zombies in the Farmlands is worth a total of 2100 XP once you are leveled up enough to safely kite them. 9) If you have an mod installed (I don't know what is doing this) that opens up the first zone of Cloakwood Forest, Gurke's Cloak is easily recovered (300 XP). 10) Use a Stone to Flesh Scroll to rescue Tamah in Mutamin's Garden when you can afford it (300 XP) 11) In my trials, sometimes you get unlucky and Mutamin kills Korax. Sometimes quickly. However, you followed my advice and are now armed with a Wand of Frost and are now in a position to fight Mutamin more aggressively. Futhermore, you have the option of picking up a Potion of Mirrored Eyes from Thalantyr and combining it with your Protection from Magic Scroll to have partial (ranged) invulnerability for one minute to take out Mutamin quickly and try to preserve as much of Korax's health as possible for the rest of the zone. Afterwards, use your Protection of Petrification to sweep through the rest of the zone. No, you can't combine Protection from Petrification and Protection from Magic Scroll. No, Protection from Magic by itself will not protect you from the basilisk's gaze. I hope these insights were helpful to someone approaching the game in this manner. Kick butt for goodness!!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I really appreciate the time you took to write this, there's a lot of very useful information here. Just to discuss some points, on your first section: 3) this is a good idea indeed. Using the oil of speed to avoid Karlat can be very helpful and you should have more than enough time to kill the spiders with it as well (lasts for one hour game time = 6 mins IRL time). For your second section I would say that you have some interesting routes here for sure: 3) The Valley of Tombs I feel would be a bit dangerous, but I've never went there very early so can't really say for sure, 900xp for delivering the item is juicy though. 6) Noober was indeed not mentioned! 400 "free" XP for just taking some time to listen to the boy should definitely be considered :D 9) I believe it's Tweaks Anthology that allows this if you choose to install the component. 10) Again, very nice, essentially free XP is what we want for a guide of this sort! 11) I've had another person report this, I'm guessing the latest SCS version bumped up his AI and spell selection. Given this, I would say to clear out all other basilisks before going for Korax. That way if something goes horribly wrong, you can always escape and still have the exp of the others you killed. I would still say that getting the basilisks done as soon as possible is probably the best bet since that way you can go clear out the other routes while being much safer since you now should have some levels, which means more HP to play with, spells and proficiencies. Not to say that your route isn't doable, it definitely is and is a sound alternative :D Thank you very much for the information, it's very welcomed and hopefully it will prove useful to others as well!

[@TheRytchusOne]

I'm glad you found some of this helpful. Let me stress to anyone that think that I'm suggesting exploring some of these zones (like Valley of Tombs) at level one, I most certainly am not. I move staying close to the border, kite with a ranged weapon, and flee when it gets too hot. I assume about a much risk at as you demonstrated rescuing Melicamp. As for trying to get the Heart of the Golem early, if you enter the zone from Gibberling Mountains (which you can reach safely, even if you're hesitant to look for Samuel or the fire resist ring), the correct tomb is just off screen in front of you (you zone in from the south) and the quest giver is just a tad west. Worst case scenario: you run into a flind or ogrillion and you can't kill it (although you should still have a wand of magic missiles), flee and rest in another zone. I think that grabbing these tools before tackling the basilisks is worth the effort, but I'm interested in other ideas and opinions as well. Boo thinks that you are all fools, but don't mind him. He gets cranky sometimes.

[@greendragonfly4831]

Got this on a Humble sale on Switch. The controls are an absolute nightmare. No touch function and the cursor is locked to center screen when you move it. Big regerts.

[@voodoochild9795]

You sound like Jose Mourinho! Keep up the great work!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Same nationality :p

[@DeltaGGamer]

Btw great guide but as of now I noticed while following the video for tenya and the bowl that choosing the same dialogue options you did if you kill all 3 you get 1000xp. but if I do the same choices and only kill sonner like you did I got the 2000xp not sure if caused by alignment but I did it as a true neutral character while you went chaotic evil. In fact, it's when I kill all 3 of them that she gives no dialogue choices.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Ah that would actually be pretty cool if that's the case! More guaranteed experience :D

[@paulschaaf8880]

Out of curiousity, do you know if there is enough xp available in BG 1 to hit the xp cap with a full 6 person party if everyone joins you at level 1? Or do you only hit the cap normally with a less than 6 person party?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

On my playthrough in the channel I take a full party all together from level 1 through bg1 and we hit the level cap some time before the end. I explored quite a bit though and did the werewolf island + durlags tower quests. I also hit the level cap in SoD btw.

[@paulschaaf8880]

Ok thanks. So it sounds like this quick leveling option is mostly a convenience then, especially on insane where being level 1 means a lot of things can 1 shot you. For a full party, you're basically gaining about 180k total xp, once you count all the free xp your companions get. That's what made me curious. There's still hope for you Imoen!

[@rinnerinne5909]

The spiders won’t follow me outside

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hum, they should, just make sure that when you enter the house you wait a bit until you see them stsrting to come after you. Then you run out the door

[@Soviless99]

I have followed this guide and realized my druid can i see the ahnkeg plate armor. I also managed to kill the sirines in the southwest part of the map with the pne that gives 5k xp. i hit them with ansling bullet then insect swarm, bullet again, then doom

[@mbalazs3544]

3:28 for extra gold i like to import move diamond to other, export characters, repeat until you have 200 diamonds on every character when i start :D each 500 gold, you can find diamond in map 1 right middle with Imoen search aria and search mode one of the trees will flow a blue dot, there is the diamond, but you can export import copy any item and sell them for star mony :D that you will bead i spent 200 diamonds in a blink of an eye to get to reputation 14 :D 8:06 that diamond :D

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Lool that's not something I have ever done but it is always funny to know how many tricks can be done with this game :p

[@adrianeckert6529]

Umm this is great for solo runs. But I want to control my companion’s level ups cause you will miss out on HP and weapon proficiency. The only reason I would avoid a companion is cause I can’t or don’t want to do their timed quest at the time. It is one of the reasons I avoid the ranger in high hedge cause he will leave if you don’t do his quest.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

For sure you need to keep in mind their personal quests, especially if they are timed (but they do give you a fair number of days to take care of them). Regarding controlling companion level ups, HP and proficiencies, you will still pick them up "unlevelled", you will have to click on their "level up" button to do so, and you will be able to assign weapon proficiencies in any way you like and their HP will be set to the appropriate level. There is no downside in picking up companions at their maximum *joining* experience in Baldur's Gate 1 (there might be an exception here in case you want to dual class them - I don't think you will have a fine control on the level they are dualing at). For BG2 it's different as if I remember correctly, companions will join with some proficiencies already assigned if you pick them up at a higher experience amount.

[@jameshill2450]

@@CoredumpedGaming I just picked up some characters this way (no mods). It does look odd since you do everything all at once instead of taking one level-up at a time, but I got to assign all the points. So it seems like that probably would stop dual-classing if you want to do it early. And when I picked up Xzar it showed him automatically learning some new spells, which also looked odd, but I think that was just free stuff from being a specialist mage and not a choice being made.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@jameshill2450 that is correct, if you intend on dual classing companions then you would have to pick them up at the level you want to dual class them at and then just take them with you from there. As for the spells with xzar, that'a just the normal behavior. If you recruit a mage that gets a level up boost to your experience threshold they always gain some spells.

[@Idkwhtpsipto]

Maybe I’ll give it another try. I did attempt to play as a kid/teen, didn’t go well. I tried again recently, past couple years, and just couldn’t; I rely too heavily on modern QoL things. But I realize, I really need to get into and finish this game at some point.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

It is understandable. I can't get any of my friends to play the originals either :p They really don't like the old graphics and the old school UI. Naturally I am biased for this, but I actually enjoy the UI quite a bit. The games are very much worth it as they are very very good, so if you feel like you want to push through the old school interactions, go for it and enjoy these awesome games.

[@dangr123]

I thought we specifically didn't want to level up before recruiting because it they don't necessarily pick up the right skill points when they level up on their own. Is that not a thing anymore?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I believe that is a thing in BG2, but not the case in BG1. In BG1 they join at their minimum but already with the extra experience for you to level them up yourself. In BG2 they will join already with skills assigned, which the best example is Anomen which puts points into Spears :p Pretty sure you can also work around that with the Tweaks Anthology mod where you can very likely define how you want party members to join you initially. It is still usually worth doing in BG2 btw, because the extra experience will be very very handy, more so than some useless pre-assigned proficiencies.

[@ellafurlanetto9787]

I'm having a bit of trouble in my game. I'm playing the original Barlders, Gate on my dad's old computer and have been doing my best to follow the guide. Though the Goul keeps dying to the Baskils after we defet the gnome wizard. I'm also a claric/fighter, and I'm using a sling. I'm wondering if that has any impact?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hello, the class of your main character does not make a difference. The ghoul is immune to the gaze attacks but can take some damage here and there from the basilisks and especially from the gnome. My suggestion is while you have the effect of protection from petrification, make sure to go in and help the ghoul kill the basilisks to speed up their kill time and give them less of a chance to hurt the ghoul. Also, until you get the hang of it, do not fear to quick save and quick load if things go wrong.

[@smugchuckles1140]

you can kill gorion in candlekeep for 4000 XP

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I would say that would go into a more advanced guide :p

[@denissimicic4838]

i only dont understand why one should kill syren, when you get best helm possible from the ogre mage that held her captive

[@CoredumpedGaming]

You don't need to kill her, it's simply an example on how to get some easy experience as she is worth 5k

[@luketelvanni2339]

Awesome video

[@stillwithmeokay7174]

the easiest way or you could say a bit cowardly, play in Black pits with Difficult Story Mode,After you kill Baeloth, export your character and then import your character in campaign mode(Don't forget before fighting Baeloth you must buy some Overpowered equipment first😅) for sure you Will Lvl maks after you kill Baeloth Because if you completely Black pits you Will get 161k XP

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Always interesting to learn these strategies :p

[@jandegroef3451]

Great video! Did they change the npc levels in BGEE? Because they used to be higher level with wierd proficiency points and bad hit point rolls. So I always tried to get them as low level as possible. You couldnt level them up yourself.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I honestly am not sure if they changed the NPC levels, although I do not believe so, it's been a long time since I played the originals. In the originals the weapon proficiencies were different and in the EE (and also via mods) you can have all NPCs always get the max HP rolls when they level up, and this is something I have turned on.

[@paulschaaf8880]

You might want to install the Tweaks Anthology mod and use the component that gives max hp rolls. I always thought it was BS that you could gain a level and only get 1 hp. If you happened to get bad luck you could actually wind up with a level 10 character who only has 10 HP. That's just game breaking IMO so I don't even consider that component cheating. That's just the way it always should have been. You do still get stuck with seemingly random or suboptimal weapon proficiencies though. Minsc for instance at 32k xp starts with 2 pips in 2 handed swords and 2 pips in 2 weapon fighting style. WTF? Someone did that on purpose. You do get better control over their weapon proficiencies if you have everyone join you at level 1, but then you don't get the massive party xp boost that this guide would have given.

[@ab-zh5ml]

how did u switch between characters to trade stuff, i have been dropping it on the ground and then switching and picking it up with the one i want to trade to.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

While you have a character inventory open, you can just press 1 - 6 to swap between the character's inventories. Makes it quite handy

[@jha7623]

This is so needed thank you so much

[@Senpailoveyou]

Nice tips please make another guide

[@andresisthename]

Pity there is no LOB equivalent of this guide. Mutamin only gets you to like Lv 3 because Kangie can't kill Mutamin in LoB and neither can't handle greater Bassilisks. And he takes such long time dealing with the regular ones that he the timer runs out right when you are about Lv 3. The spiders are right out of question at the level you are left out after Mutamin, and so is almost everything else in this tutorial.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Yeah, LOB is VERY different from the other difficulties. Personally I dislike it so I never play it, the level of difficulty added by it is not enjoyable to me and seems poorly done aka very artificial. SCS makes enemies smarter which to me is the perfect difficulty increase. I imagine that LOB would involve a LOT of kiting around enemies in a very slow/boring way until you eventually get some levels/gear to face them "normally", but I'm really not the best person to give insight on that, sorry. I'm not sure if you are playing on LOB *with* SCS or without, but if you want to experience the game with more difficulty and never tried SCS, I highly recommend it.

[@GlaucoTabet]

So, you should pick up Imoen at lvl 1? or can you pick her up later as well? Does dumping them affect their lvls later? Thanks for the amazing video!!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Imoen is kind of a special case as she does not get the experience bonus like the other characters do. If you want to use Imoen it is probably best to take her with you from the start. You can still do the same thing as you see on the guide, you'll just be getting less experience.

[@GlaucoTabet]

@@CoredumpedGaming Thanks alot!! just started a new playthrough!!

[@vadimf8301]

*G R E A T V I D E O*

[@ThMrksman]

If you wanted to have Imoen in your party, how would you go about it? Leave her at the FAI and pick her up again after the XP grind? I used to go around picking every lock in town as a way of getting xp early, so seeing these alternate strats is really cool!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Sadly I think Imoen doesn't work the same way as other companions. I never take her with me but I've heard this from other players. Because when she comes to talk to you as soon as you leave candlekeep you can just run away from her and not trigger her dialogue. If you then come back to the area she will still be there waiting for you and should get bumped to your experience level but she only gets a few levels instead. Honestly if you want imoen with you I would probably just take her from the start. You would be cutting your exp in half but will still allow for a nice boost to get on your way.

[@ThMrksman]

@@CoredumpedGaming Thanks for the advice!

[@Vixen785]

Kinda moot at this point, but your strength was good enough to pick up a Composite Longbow (+2 Damage, -1 THAC0). Looks like it requires 18 Strength and some class restrictions.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

True, I wasn't focusing too much on those details as this was meant to be a guide that anyone could follow, regardless of ability scores or class. But it is a good point nonetheless, thanks :)

[@coot33]

What ui mod are using for this one ? Did you mention it before ? The item looting is much better.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hello, I am not using any UI mod. This is the default UI for BG:EE with Siege of Dragonspear (SoD) DLC installed. SoD makes the UI a dark colour, but other than that I believe it's exactly the same as the one from BG:EE

[@coot33]

​@@CoredumpedGaming YeP I found the button on the EE after posting this. Got used to the old bg ui this new feature is very nice.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@coot33 it makes a very big difference yeah. When I started playing the enhanced editions I was kind of suspicious about it (I get suspicious of any change done in games :p) but once I started using it... there was no going back lol It's such a time saver

[@lachlank.8270]

40:00 Tarnesh has caused so many reloads uggh

[@CoredumpedGaming]

His disables can be annoying :p

[@HerzogZosa]

this is awesome! thanks a lot! just one question: what if you plan to get Imoen for a bdg2-run and wanna make her a wizard? if she's level 6 at that point, it would take for ever to level her up again :x

[@CoredumpedGaming]

In BG2 imoen will be "new". When she joins you in BG2 she already has levels in wizard and will get boosted to your experience points.

[@HerzogZosa]

@@CoredumpedGaming so it is unimportant how you level her up? it doesnt change anything?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@HerzogZosa the way you level her up in BG1 is irrelevant for BG2 yes.

[@HerzogZosa]

@@CoredumpedGaming didnt know that. thanks a lot! :)

[@fionordequester6748]

So to be clear, being a multi-class doesn't matter? Since EXP is divided between your classes?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Correct, so for example if you pick up jaheira when your main character has 32k exp, she would get 16k exp on both fighter and druid classes (since she is a multiclass fighter/druid). On that same note, if your main character is a multiclass and has 16k exp on each of the classes, totalling 32k, if you pick up a single class companion they would get 32k exp

[@fionordequester6748]

@@CoredumpedGaming Thx!

[@TheMythriel]

I don't know if it still works, but after BG:EE came out I would make a character in the Black Pits and quickly fight a handful of fights to get to level 6 or 7 and then save the character and start him in a new BG game.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I never played black pits, but I also had no idea you could import a leveled character to start bg1 :o

[@LampichUA]

Hi,can you make a guide for start a BG EE on Bhaal Legacy? Because thats all just pissing me off... i cant kill start mobs with 4-5-6 level party members

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I won't make a guide for Legacy of Bhall difficulty because I don't like that difficulty setting. In my opinion it is a poor implementation of difficulty as it just involves a tremendous amount of time and kiting around enemies which isn't how the game is meant to be played in my opinion. I wish you luck and patience for the start of the game because those early levels will be just pain and suffering. I imagine it may become a bit more enjoyable later when you have a lot of power, though I still would never recommend it to anyone.

[@LampichUA]

@@CoredumpedGaming yeah... i just wanted a achievement..

[@Gabriel2536]

You can also find the History of the Fateful Coin one entrance under Firebead's house on a bookshelf on the first floor, so you don't have to waste 3 properly earned gold pieces ;).

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Nice tip! Extra efficiency is always nice :D

[@zzodysseuszz]

3 gold saved is 3 gold spent.

[@fyrestorme]

1:02:30 lmao xD I 1 shot that chick you were talking up as super hard. again, core diff

[@RedAndtheBlackRocker]

When you use the Ring of Princes without identifying it, it still gives you the bonus. Does that also work with unidentified weapons like arrows and swords or do you have to ID each of them to get the bonus? Thanks! Also - how important are the letters you pick up along the way, if they're not part of a quest do you have to hold onto them or can you just read them and toss away?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Hello :) unidentified items will still give you their passive buffs. This works for all the things you mention but will not work for activated abilities such as for example an unidentified wand or a ring that can be activated. You will not be able to activate them unless you identify them. As to the notes: most of them you can just read and toss away (there's also a button you can click when the letter is open to copy it into your journal). For the most part the only letters you want to keep are ones that say "this looks important and you should keep it" - something like that. You can also store notes in a scroll container in case you want to take them with you.

[@RedAndtheBlackRocker]

​@@CoredumpedGaming thanks!

[@TheRytchusOne]

To be clear, you must LOOT some letters (bandit camp, probably Mulahey) and then you can toss them away. Long story short, I recently experienced my game's chapter not advancing and eventually realized that I right-clicked and read the letters in the bandit camp but never looted them. Avoid that mistake!

[@CoredumpedGaming]

@@TheRytchusOne A very good point! I don't think I've actually ever done that exact interaction, I always pick up stuff and then read it in my inventory but what you describe could break progression for sure. Thanks for bringing this up!

[@RedAndtheBlackRocker]

@@TheRytchusOne great, thanks for the tip. That makes a big difference.

[@gel87Kjetil]

Nice guide :) i play a little different: I always play with a selfmade kit and alone(played 2 x self made kit once though). But i do full clear xD But ideally i like fighter/thief/mage. Ofc with xpcap removal. Full hla table and some customs spells and albilities xD Anyway, there is a place far southwest where sirens can spawn upon rest. And when ur pretty high level and decent gear i use that place to farm xp. Cause there spawn several each time you rest. I also farm anlegg by resting early, but I die a lot so would have to save a lot :p Once i played single legacy of baal difficulty with a custom mage class(banshee). It was so hard in the start. But once i got to the spirit walker quest inside the one of those hard places with several levels(forgot name) the spirit walker would die Even if you picked correct. So had to make a mod to improve him xD I quicksave 24/7 though.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Solo endeavours are definitely a different beast :p I've never played with custom kits so I don't know those, although banshee sounds cool, what does it do special?

[@gel87Kjetil]

@@CoredumpedGaming banshee is a a floating undead woman in black dress. Forgot creature name. Its a complex mage but its a strong one :p Some spells are not allowed such as melfs minute shower. First of it has +99 to taco, which means it will never hit a target with any wepon. It can not wear several items such as robes/armor most wepons etc. i dont remember excactly all anymore. As it is a mage kit it has the +1 ekstra spell cast each level. It also recieves a few extra over the run. In the mage book it has several custom spells such as: dragon dust(single pierce if save, double pierce dmg if not + save or not vs blind), soul harvest (magical damage) single target as well, Thunderbolt or smt like that(looks like the one irenicus cast in ur cage, does light + crushing dmg and will force sleep very short). And one which is with acid and crushing instead, different animation ofc. All with cool animations, and some screen Shake effects etc. they evolve upon certain levels, so they wont become useless end game. Might have forgotten some, but its been a while. As innate albilites it starts with wail of banshee at lvl 1. its a custom one where it will deal 4dmg in lvl 1 to all sorrounding and has a chance to slow them. More effects and damage are added on different levels. It feels week early, but is very strong late. The damage is crushing. It will kill lesser foh at high levels, and have other effects as well for those who save it a little xD It also has a shapechanging spell, which is hla or smt. It will give you the albility to transform into theese 4 shapes: Ghoul (stunning etc attacks, but weak and squishy) Vampire (a little squishy for this end game, but life regen, and some stuff, animation also move fast) Bone golem (tanky) Skeleton (high magical res, bow and sword and helm) It also have -1 to casting speed at certain levels, and as a hla or late high level it will gain a permanent arcane casting. It can however not wield robes such as robe of vecna, or the amulet with -casting speed. I also have made: - Ninja assassin (strong melee thief, no can use bow/ranged, little traps if i remember correct but an excelent swordsman and backstabber, invisible spells and different other ways of increasing ur backstabbing), also can add psn to wepon. - mindflayer mage: Lesser psionic blast Psionic blast(with increased stats in high level) Greater psionic blast, stronger and also deal some light dmg) Psionic brain crush Summon umber hulk Summon mind flayer Custom wepon(his face, increase on levels) Mindflayer fighter Sirine (deadly kiss, excellent archer and custom bow/melee wepon which increase on level, charm and invisibility ofc too) Some kind of demon knight who also can summon demons and some fire albilities. Githyanki: Paladin aura/mediation style(this one is wierd xD) Custom werewolf which extend to stronger wolf shapes such as vampire wolf and demonic wolf. Copied a lot from another guy on this one, and added hla’s. Skeleton fighter/mage/thief which basicly is a mix of kenzai/banshee/ninja assassin. Maleficent Probarly more, been a while. Tried to make a vampire, but in to bad at scripts and so. Wanted it to be nerfed with ring of daywalker, and then disintigrate if take it off in daylight. Was called shadow lurker, but never finnished, one of the spells was so intense it broke the game as well, was supposed ro summon in a swarm of bats attacking enemies rapidly and give you blood for high regen, but game broke xD All are kinda op. But i struggle enough xD

[@CoredumpedGaming]

These kits actually sound quite interesting! I've never really played with modded kits though some definitely sound fun. I did start trying a mod that changed the way sword and shield and two weapon fighting works, making those styles more useful as currently they are very underwhelming compared to dual wielding weapons. Sadly I did not have much time to try that one out :( but I did enjoy the time I had with it. Also, if some kits are somewhat overpowered, who cares! As long as you have fun with them, that's the only thing that really matters :D

[@gel87Kjetil]

@@CoredumpedGaming yes there are many fun mods. I always use xp cap remover. Keep drizzt swords Drizzt sword give either 2 or 5 profience to scimitars(avoid spending points which are uselss on bg2) Cloak of balduran in bg2 Ye, i love the thief+mage playstyles. As well as thief/fighter/mage. Because thief and mage are really fun. But if one play single class they will Max out very fast in bg2ee. And then one would need tables up to lvl 50 as well. And then Even Max it as well. As well as most orginal spells have no progression beyond 20. and some has no progression.

[@adamcassio4486]

Você é tuga ou br? Pq esse sotaque tá meio suspeito.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Ahah português :p O sotaque não perdoa!

[@Dan-uf2vh]

I ran a dual mace wielding berserker and have no issue to melee at lvl 1 .. those basilisks are just experience bags when protected from petrification. I don't even know if berserking makes me immune from petrification ^^, I just make sure I don't waste my ability cast.

[@CoredumpedGaming]

For sure you can go melee, a berserker is an extremely solid choice, one of my favourites in fact :D Berserker rage does not make you immune from petrification, it grants immunity to charm, confusion, fear, feeblemind, hold, imprisonment, maze, sleep and level drain.

[@paulschaaf8880]

Some other mods make basilisks tougher as well I think. For me both the lesser and the greater basilisks do damage when you're at melee range, but not from range. In my latest game that I just started yesterday they actually killed Korax even with my Kensai doing pretty good damage from range throwing axes at them. So in my case, meleeing them solo is not an option unless you already have some levels and gear, which kind of defeats the purpose of this guide. That place is the fastest area to level up solo right at the beginning. In fact a lesser basilisk 1 shot my level 1 Kensai when I tried that (14 hp). I assume that was a crit, although it was also insane double damage.

[@curagaifrit6829]

I only got 11k exp on the basilisks? Got rid of my party too

[@CoredumpedGaming]

The basilisks should give considerably more than that. I usually leave the area with ~25k exp. Are you sure you killed them all? The greater basilisks alone give 7k exp each and there's two of them there.

[@rasputinkarkadof6016]

I've been doing all exactly as here, yet for some reason my XP after the siren is still in 16,581. Could it be they changed it after so long?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

I'm not aware of any changes in terms of exp gains (and I doubt they would change something like that at this point). Maybe there was something that you missed? Or maybe you did part of it with other companions in the party?

[@MegaIata]

​@@CoredumpedGaming I didn't play the games, but maybe the port you are playing?

[@maomaeramnon3870]

You can also clear mutamins garden completely without protection scroll. That’s not so easy to do tho and if you don’t really know where they are korax time will run out and he will try to eat you

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Yep, I find that having the protection from petrification makes things a lot simpler and faster.

[@frumentarii9571]

just did everything with vanilla game. And try recruiting that druid and warrior guy (jaharia or something) but they got 16000? why is that?

[@CoredumpedGaming]

Jaheira is a multiclass, so she got 16000 on each of her classes, which is the correct amount. Khalid should have got 32k in fighter as he is a pure fighter.

[@frumentarii9571]

@@CoredumpedGaming Soo sorry 😔 thx mate, you are a god 😉

[@goreobsessed2308]

Just did this on my phone the mage killed korax but I ended up finishing the area myself.

[@plops993]

Way to unlimited exp? Part way through, export character into new game. Repeat ;)