BALDUR'S GATE

WALKTHROUGH

Hacking, slashing and cheating his way through this year's epic RPG release is Andrew Wright

 REVIEWED PCZ #73 SCORE 85%

To complete Baldur's Gate you're pushed along the distinctly linear plot, but you should take plenty of time 
out to explore the Sword Coast and gain as much experience as you can. You also need decent weapons, 
armour spells and potions for the climax. The first few locations can be taken on at first level, but after that 
you need to move up fast. Don't go underground until at least the third level, preferably fourth, and don't 
dally north of the Friendly Arm Inn until at least the fifth level.
Despite the fact that you have to do major quests in a particular order, chapters one to six offer lots of 
leeway and no time limit, so cover every nook and cranny, fighting, searching and resting all the way.

Prologue

Your mission is to team up with Gorion, but not before you've explored Candlekeep, earned as much 
experience as possible and lined your pockets. Get Firebead Elvenhair's scroll from Tethtoril (in the central 
gardens), and retrieve Phlydia's book, Hull's sword and Fuller's bolts. Visit the infirmary for your free NHS 
potion. Thieves with good skills should try the locked chests, but make very sure nobody sees you. In some 
locations, nobody seems to give a monkey's, and in others the town guard arrives in seconds.
Two assassins will try to kill you, but you should manage as it's pretty well-fixed. After a walkabout, visit the 
inn and equip yourself as best you can. Choose a good weapon you're proficient with, and get a ranged 
weapon too - bows and throwing daggers are an excellent choice. Then speak to Gorion and watch the 
show.


CHAPTER 1 

After Gorion's death, team up with Imoen and get the goodies from Gorion's body. Follow the road east and 
join Xar and Montaron. They're both evil, but they help to start with.
On the next map east, follow the road north, and before you enter the inn head along the south side of the 
map for the Ring of Wizardry (see Magic Items panel on page XX).
Inside the walls, a bounty-hunting spellcaster is waiting for you at the foot of the stairs to the inn. Hit him 
with long-range fire and let the guards take care of him. Inside, add Khalid and Jaheira to your party - 
they're essential.
Visit the upstairs rooms to get two more sub-quests, and see a lady in the house near the gate for a third. 
The hobgoblins who stole her ring are found on this map, outside and north-west of the inn. Return the ring, 
rest up, and hunt down the ogre in the extreme east of the map south of the inn (where you've already 
been). Give the dwarf his girdle back, but sell the other as it's no good. Visit the temple and, if you can 
afford it, buy the stone-to-flesh scroll because it gets you half-price access to a cleric later.
Now head two maps south to Beregost. Be prepared, because if you get 'waylaid by the enemy', you'll have 
to fight. Use Jaheira and Khalid (and the evil halfling) for mˆl‚e combat, and the rest for missile attacks. 
Collect all the enemies' weapons and armour to sell later.
Beregost is probably going to be your base of operations for some time, so it's well worth getting to know it. 
One of the Friendly Arm Inn quests was to clear out some spiders. They're in the house just west of the 
Jovial Juggler - but be sure to have your antidotes in your quick-item slots. Grab the spider body so you can 
complete the sub-quest on your next visit to Friendly Arm Inn.
Visit Feldepost's Inn and deal with Mar and Dunkin as tactfully as you can (options 1,1,3,3,1 in each of the 
dialogues) for an easy 900xp. If Xar and Montaron are whining, remove them from your party - but not until 
you've taken all their useful possessions.
In a building just north of the Feldepost Inn you find a dwarf fighter called Kaigan. Accept his quest, go one 
map north, and when he gives up, whizz straight back to Beregost. He joins up permanently and is handy to 
have around.
In the town square, listen to the town crier and then continue your pub-crawl east to the Burning Wizard. 
Outside, accept Garrick's quest, but kill his girlfriend as soon as she attacks. She's bad news and can cast 
lightning bolt which is almost sure to be fatal. You need to strike fast to stop her spell-casting. The bard joins 
up afterwards and you get 900xp.
On the east side of Beregost there's a smithy with some interesting stuff for sale. Visit his place in the dead 
of night, and if you unlock one of the chests there's a +1 bastard sword.
Another house on the east side contains a lady called Mirianne. Later you find a letter later which proves her 
husband is still alive. When you take it back to her you get a +1 ring of protection.
Up in the north-east is a large nobleman's house. A skilful bit of burglary here should reveal a useful wand of 
lightning which gets you out of one or two scrapes. There's often something worth taking from the mage's 
house, such as a wand of lightning.


CHAPTER 2

Now go to Nashkel but be prepared for another mage bounty hunter. Find Berrun Ghastkel, who asks you to 
solve the problem in the iron ore mine. You also come across Minsc, an excellent ranger, to join your party. 
Dump the bard. At the carnival, on the next map east, you can use a stone-to-flesh spell or scroll to get a 
good cleric called Branwen. Consider dumping the dwarf - he hangs about, so you can get him back later. 
Your main task is to find out what's happening in the mines. There are five levels filled with kobolds and 
spiders, plus a few traps (a job for the priest and the thief). On the deepest level is Mulahey, an evil mage 
who 'summons' skeletons and kobolds. Kill him whatever happens, and collect his letters as evidence for 
Berrun Ghastkel.


CHAPTER 3

Leave the mine by a back exit one floor back, but you can't turn back because the entrance caves in. 
Explore this map well - there are at least three caves full of undead monsters and treasure. Rest in Nashkel 
if you need to, but beware of the bounty hunter waiting for you there. Back in Nashkel, talk to Berrun and get 
your reward. Go to Beregost and force Tranzig (in a room above the Feldpost Inn) to tell you the location of 
the bandit camp. Execute him afterwards and take his possessions.
Head north-east and find the bandits. Either kill them all or pretend to join up. Whatever happens, you have 
to dispose of Tazok, the leader, explore the camp and win a final bundle in Tazok's tent. Some documents 
in their chest explain their plans - they are being controlled by the Iron Throne from a base deep inside 
Cloakwood Forest.

CHAPTER 4

Grab the goodies and leave for Cloakwood Forest, which consists of five maps, the last of which includes 
the dwarven mines. One important - if not essential - sub-quest is the search for the Spider's Bane, a 
powerful two-handed sword, and a lost brother. Have plenty of antidote to hand, because the spiders' poison 
kills you quicker than the physical damage.
The woods are full of phase spiders and irritating traps, not to mention wolves and various other things. 
Outside the mines you have to defeat another NPC party to gain access.
Inside the four mine levels you find another possible party member (a dwarf) and more loot. Defeat the evil 
wizard by having anti-magic spells ready, such as blindness, dispel magic and silence. Don't try to kill all the 
monsters, as they wear you down for little gain. Just find the shortest path downwards and then out. Free 
the prisoners and flood the mine - preferably in that order.


CHAPTER 5

At last (and it will already seem like a lifetime) you can get to Baldur's Gate itself. And you're barely a third 
of the way through this monster of a game.
The city itself is a huge place to explore with loads of sub-quests. The main one involves Scar of the 
Flaming Fist who asks you to investigate the Seven Suns, a trading organisation. It has actually been 
infested with doppelgangers, weird creatures that eat humans and replicate their bodies.
Go to Iron Throne Mansion, north-west of the docks, kill the inhabitants of the top level and nick the scrolls 
in which they've conveniently listed their plans (again). Investigate the Seven Suns' place and repeat. Finish 
by returning to see Scar at the Flaming Fist headquarters, plead lack of time when he asks you to do more 
and let him take you to Duke Eltan, who gives you a book.


CHAPTER 6

In a cunning plot device, you're transported to Candlekeep. Hand the book to the guard. Inside, stock up on 
potions and items. Many Candlekeep inhabitants have been eaten by dopplegangers. To find out which 
ones, keep questioning people who don't recognise you until they get mad and change form. Then kill them.
When you get thrown in jail - something you can't avoid as the plot gets distinctly more linear from here on 
in - Tethtoril appears and transports you to the levels under Candlekeep. Find your way out through the 
tombs, taking what you can along the way.


CHAPTER 7

Get back to Baldur's Gate - avoiding the guards and Flaming Fist - and defeat yet more bad guys in the 
Iron Throne headquarters. Your target is Sarevok's diary, and a scroll that mentions the undercity which you 
can reach via the basement and sewers.
When you get an invitation to the coronation of the new Grand Duke, Sarevok, head to the palace and show 
your invitation. Inside, protect Belt and his girl while despatching the attacking dopplegangers. In the 
coronation room, Sarevok denounces you until you show Belt the diary. Don't bother attacking him, because 
you can't kill him at this point and he mysteriously escapes. Belt then teleports you to the Thieves Guild, 
where you can rest and get ready to enter the undercity again after a hectic battle with a tough skeleton 
horde. All that remains is to track down Sarevok and take him out. You're allowed to do that this time. 
Peasy.


CHOOSING A CHARACTER
There are plenty of options when you first start out, so what should you take into consideration when 
deciding who to play as?

The obvious choice is a human fighter for real weapon power, a good helping of gold and 10+ hit points. 
Next is the cleric, a second-rate fighter but handy with cure spells. Tempting as it is to start with a mage, 
remember that you might not last too long, as they get only four hit points per level before constitution 
bonuses.
On the plus side, you meet a fighter/druid and fighter in the Friendly Arm Inn, so you get some reasonable 
foot soldiers. You can't recruit a good mage until well into the game, but keep those scrolls anyway.
The best option is an elfin mage combined with something else such as thief, as this gives you the best of 
all worlds - sneaking and pilfering, casting spells, and the elf's extra abilities with bow and long sword.
Thieving plays a big role in Baldur's Gate - there are hundreds of locks just begging to be picked - but your 
first recruit will undoubtedly be Imoen.
If you do play safe with a fighter, as a human you can always dual class later - for example, when you get 
to be a third-level fighter you can switch to being a mage, cleric or thief. Just make sure your relevant ability 
is 17 or more at the outset. Once you get to fourth level in your new class, you have both sets of skills.

CHEATING
If you just can't make it, give yourself an edge

One way is to play multiplayer with yourself and start off with four good first-level characters. That way you 
get a good head start.
The second way is to use the import/export feature. Create a character you like, and fight your way around 
the first few maps. Be thoroughly evil and don't worry about your reputation. Kill bartenders, good guys. 
anything that moves and is an easy target. When you're doing well, export the character, import it into a new 
game and repeat the process. When you're third or fourth level, export and import again and play as Mr 
Nice Guy with a new unblemished reputation.

MAGIC ITEMS

Pressing 'L' at any time gives you your current mouse co-ordinates. Here are a few places to visit.
Ring of Wizardry: at the base of a tree just south of Friendly Arm Inn (x=2553, y=3761)
Ring of Protection: map south of Friendly Arm Inn (x=1004, y=1114)
Wand of Ice: in a stump on north-west corner of Nashkel mines screen (x=165, y=177)
Wand of Monster Summoning: plus a +2 dagger, in a crypt in the SE corner of mine exit map.
Ankheg Armour and pearl: ploughed field just west of Naskel village (x=186, y=2744)

TOP TIPS
Handy hints to help you along your way

 Disband the entire party before you finish quests. That way your character grabs all the experience.
 Thieves are vital, but if you have two make them specialise in different abilities.
 If you get too much gear, store it safely in a chest in a building.
 When moving about the map, use a high-stealth character to scout ahead. Turn off the AI to prevent them 
attacking.
 Break down powerful groups of NPCs one at a time. Scout ahead, draw one or two away, and then 
ambush them.
 Note that NPCs join at roughly the main character's level. This means you can go back and rejoin possible 
party characters you've bypassed and they'll no longer be first-level weaklings.
 Hunt ankhegs for experience. Each one is worth 975xp and 500gp. You can also persuade the smithy in 
Beregost to make you some special ankheg plate mail for 4000gp.

 Talk to everyone - even 'commoners' can add sections to the map you can't otherwise get to.
 Make a habit of opening everything with a lid on as you can pick up a lot of items and money.

KNOW YOUR D&D
Drunk and disorderly? No, Dungeons & Dragons, TSR's famous paper-and-pencil RPG. Knowing a few 
rules helps, as Baldur's Gate follows the system reasonably accurately

Weapons aren't fully explained in the manual, for a start. A short sword does only 1-6 damage, but it strikes 
very quickly, as do throwing daggers and darts. If your priority is to disrupt spell-casters, they make plenty of 
sense. 
Darts, daggers, arrows, spears and short swords get +2 against NPCs in leather armour - including bandits 
and hobgoblins. Against NPCs in plate mail, use bludgeoning weapons like a mace or flail (slashing 
weapons like longswords are -3 v plate). Give your warriors a choice of either blunt weapon or sword in the 
quick slots.
Remember:
Skeletons take half damage from edged weapons.
Sleep and cloudkill spells affect only low-level monsters, which include most kobolds, dogs, wolves, black 
bears, hobgoblins, carrion crawlers and xvarts. Doppelgangers and elves are immune to sleep and charm.
Don't lightning bolt a flesh golem - it regenerates!
You can only hit vampires and flesh golems with magical weapons.