Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 - Strategy Guide (Page 07)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 - Strategy Guide (Page 07).
There's a cutscene between Kharne and Lady Argozia/Aizagora.
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Fire I
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Fairly extensive network of caverns. There are some pools of lava surrounding
you. Stepping in them; not a good idea. You will also encounter some flaming
bats (best name I could come up with) and some fire elementals. Don't forget
to smash the little volcanoes too. They sometimes will contain gems. Head for
the southeast section of the area and you'll eventually encounter some
Zhentarim soldiers near a save pedestal. Head for the southeast path that leads
to the Fire Foundation.
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Fire II
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Aizagora the Red Dragon is guarding the Fire Foundation. Beware her fire breath
of course, as it causes massive amounts of damage if taken directly. Try to
stay on her flanks as much as possible. Once Aizagora has been defeated, go to
the Fire Foundation and activate it. You'll automatically be returned to
Omduil's Manor. Speak to Jherek and you'll receive 5000 gold coins and 8000
experience points as a quest reward.
For the Air Elemental Plane, see Section 3-5. Air Elemental Plane.
For the Earth Elemental Plane, see Section 3-6. Earth Elemental Plane.
For the Water Elemental Plane, see Section 3-8. Water Elemental Plane.
If you've activated all Foundations, see Section 3-9. Foundations Activated.
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3-8. Water Elemental Plane
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There's a cutscene between Kharne and Illudra, some crazy old woman.
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Water I
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Break the little mounds of ice you find wherever you go, as they contain
valuable gems. Follow the path in the water and you'll encounter some weird
looking creatures with tentacles. I have no idea what they're called. You'll
also eventually meet some yetis. At the first major intersection you find, go
north to fight some more yetis down in a crevace. Head back to the intersection
and then go east. You'll find a save pedestal in a cave. Follow the tunnel
east, wading through the water. Next intersection, go south first for more
yetis down a crevace and then go to the west, past the big cave with the large
chasms that have waterfalls. You'll find a room with a hole leading down to
the Water Foundation.
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Water II
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Illudra, Mistress of the Deeps, awaits you near the Water Foundation. I'm not
sure if it was intended to be that way but the water in this room is pitch
black. Illudra unleashes her kraken on you, its tentacles will come out of the
water and attack you. Once you've defeated Illudra, head north and activate
the Water Foundation. You'll automatically be returned to Omduil's Manor.
Speak to Jherek and you'll receive 5000 gold coins and 8000 experience points
as a quest reward.
For the Air Elemental Plane, see Section 3-5. Air Elemental Plane.
For the Earth Elemental Plane, see Section 3-6. Earth Elemental Plane.
For the Fire Elemental Plane, see Section 3-7. Fire Elemental Plane.
If you've activated all Foundations, see Section 3-9. Foundations Activated.
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3-9. Foundations Activated
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As Jherek is about to explain the situation, Kharne shows up. He reveals that
although the Zhentarim have lost the Onyx Tower, so have the Harpers. He tells
of Mordoc SeLanmere and of his plans to use the Onyx Tower for his own
nefarious purposes. Kharne and Jherek come to an agreement and Jherek asks you
if you will help them stop Mordoc. You can ask Omduil about Mordoc and about
how he keeps a hidden keep on the Battle of the Bones and that he's a vampire.
It is said that he created the Orb of the Undead that caused so much havoc in
Baldur's Gate recently. Before talking to Jherek, you can head back outside
and shop for a while, if you want. Once you speak to Jherek, he says the Keep
of Pale Night awaits you all...
Thus ends Act III. On to Act IV.
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A C T IV - T H E K E E P O F P A L E N I G H T
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NOTE: It should be noted that Bartley will be selling some new weapons and
armor. Make sure to check these out if you've accumulated a lot of gold in your
adventures, so far. He also starts selling Extra Healing and Rejuvenation
potions. Also, those who like to take notice of these things might notice
Randalla Brasshorn has disappeared from the Purple Wyrm Inn...
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4-1. Battle of the Bones
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Battle of the Bones I
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With Jherek and Kharne by your side, you must explore the Battle of the Bones
to find Mordoc SeLanmere's Keep. You'll encounter some wraiths along the way.
You'll also encounter some other undead, like skeletons. After hacking your way
through the undead creatures, you'll find the path leading to the Keep of Pale
Night.
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Battle of the Bones II
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The entrance to the Keep is being guarded by one of Mordoc's shadow creatures,
the Nightcrawler. After defeating it, head north and into Mordoc's Keep of
Pale Night.
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4-2. Keep of Pale Night
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As you first enter, Jherek does a little inspirational speech.
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Keep of Pale Night I
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Head north through the main entrance hall, fighting shadow creatures as you go.
There's an old pipe organ at the northern end of the hall. Playing it will make
spectral chests appear. However, you must be quick to retrieve them as they
will disappear as quickly as they were summoned. The trick here is to play the
organ and then quickly run around the hall, opening the six chests that have
appeared before they disappear. Shadows come out to hinder you. A nice ability
to use here is Sprint, so you can run past the shadows and open the chests.
Anyway, when you're done with the pipe organ, go NW and explore the rest of
the Keep. You'll find a room with two chests. You'll also come up some stairs
to a save pedestal. First head to the SW section to find the stairs leading
down to the Keep Dungeons.
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Keep of Pale Night Dungeons
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For some reason, Kharne and Jherek don't follow you down here. You'll encounter
some skeletons and ghouls in the next huge chamber filled with pillars that
shoot fireballs at you. You need to find the 5 levers to pull to unlock the
prison door. Head for the prison and you'll find the heroes of Baldur's Gate
that destroyed Eldrith and the Onyx Tower: Kromlech the dwarven fighter,
Adrianna the elven sorceress and Vahn, the arcane archer. Use the save pedestal
before trying to free them. You must make a choice of who you want to rescue.
Each hero gives you a different item to help you.
You gain 12000 experience points for freeing the heroes, no matter which
character you are playing. You get something more if you choose a certain hero
while playing a certain character (namely 10 gems and a more powerful magic
item than usual, see below for details).
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NOTE: Any other character combinations besides the one shown below will wield
lesser results, namely no extra gems and less powerful magic items. Kromlech's
magic axe will be a +5 Flawless Great Axe, Vahn's magic bow will be a +5
Flawless Shortbow and Adrianna's magic staff will be a +5 Flawless Staff.
You still get the 12000 experience points though, no matter what. Make sure to
choose carefully! Please note that you can't get a better weapon nor gems while
playing Drizzt or Artemis, no matter who you choose to rescue first.
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Dorn / Vahn
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If you choose to rescue Vahn and are playing as Dorn Redbear, he thanks you in
the rough, boisterous manner of your tribe, having met and fought alongside
your people once before. He explains that his powerful magic bow was sealed
within one of the sacrophagi in this dungeon. If you can recover the weapon
before it is corrupted by the Keep's lingering evil, it is yours. You gain the
12000 experience points and 10 Corals. Vahn's magic bow will be a +5 Flawless
Shortbow of Wounding.
Vhaidra / Adrianna
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If you choose to rescue Adrianna and are playing as Vhaidra Uoswiir, Adrianna
expresses her gratitude, surprised to see a dark elf so far from home. She
explains that her powerful magic staff was sealed within one of the sarcophagi
in this dungeon. If you can recover the weapon before it is corrupted by the
Keep's lingering evil, it is yours. You gain the 12000 experience points and
10 Sapphires. Adrianna's magic staff will be a +5 Flawless Fey Staff.
Ysuran / Adrianna
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If you choose to rescue Adrianna and are playing as Ysuran Auondril, Adrianna
expresses her gratitude, surprised to see a fellow moon elf so far from home.
She explains that her powerful magic staff was sealed within one of the
sarcophagi in this dungeon. If you can recover the weapon before it is
corrupted by the Keep's lingering evil, it is yours. You gain the 12000
experience points and 10 Diamonds. Adrianna's magic staff will be a +5 Flawless
Defending Staff.
Borador / Kromlech
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If you choose to rescue Kromlech and are playing as Borador "Goldhand",
Kromlech of the Bruenghor Clan expresses his gratitude, surprised to see a
fellow dwarf. He explains that his powerful magic axe was sealed within one of
the sarcophagi in this dungeon. If you can recover the weapon before it is
corrupted by the Keep's lingering evil, it is yours. You gain the 12000
experience points and 10 Amethysts. Kromlech's magic axe will be a +5 Flawless
Flaming Great Axe.
Allessia / Vahn
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If you choose to rescue Vahn and are playing as Allessia Faithhammer, Vahn
expresses his gratitude, thanking Helm as well when he sees the insignia you
bear. He explains that his powerful magic bow was sealed within one of the
sacrophagi in this dungeon. If you can recover the weapon before it is
corrupted by the Keep's lingering evil, it is yours. You gain the 12000
experience points and 10 Jacinths. Vahn's magic bow will be a +5 Flawless
Shortbow of Disruption.
Head out to the huge chamber and look into each of the sarcophagi. You'll find
the hero's weapon, eventually. Some skeletons will come out and attack you for
each sarcophagi you inspect, even if you find the right one first.
Before leaving the dungeon, don't forget the loose stone in the NE corner of
the huge chamber. It will open up the nearby secret room that contains two
treasure chests and two weapon racks. The two chests contain a lot of gems, so
make sure to loot them carefully. Head back upstairs to the first floor and
then head north to find the stairs leading to the second floor of the Keep.
Jherek remains behind to hold off the shadow creatures, so it's just Kharne and
you now...
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Keep of Pale Night II
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Head east through the corridor and you'll see a small cutscene showing the
mummies that inhabit this floor. Head down the stairs and then head north to
the next intersection with the save pedestal in the middle. Go west first for
a small alcove with a sarcophagi and some urns and then go north. There will
be some raised sections in this area. Find the stairs leading up to them and
then head east. At the next intersection, go east to find another pipe organ
like the one you found on the first floor. When you play this one though, it
only makes shadows appear. Then, head south and then west, to find the save
pedestal and the stairs leading to Mordoc's Sanctuary. Kharne says that this
is as far as he'll go, that it's been interesting and that you two should meet
again...
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Keep of Pale Night III
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After your chat with Mordoc, the duel begins. After the climatic battle, the
defeated vampire turns into mist and flees. A cutscene occurs between Mordoc
and Xanhast on the Plane of Shadow. Next thing you know, the Onyx Tower appears
outside of Baldur's Gate and terrorizes the citizens.
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4-3. Mordoc's Gate
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Mordoc's Gate I
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As you enter Baldur's Gate, you notice that several buildings are on fire and
that it's raining. A huge stack of crates is in the middle of the road. Just
off to the side, Bartley's there. He's happy to see you, to say the least. He
says he was on his way back up the road from Beregost when he saw a great black
tower just appear out of nowhere and it sent out a great ring of black
lightning. He says that the citizens have been transformed into a mass of
crazy cannibals and he's fairly sure it's because of that tower. You tell him
it's the Onyx Tower and that you intend to save the city. Bartley offers you
his wares for the final battle.
Jump over the stack of crates and explore the city. You'll encounter some
zombies, former Baldur's Gate citizens. Don't bother trying to enter any of the
city's buildings, they are all inaccessible. Head north along the main street
and you'll eventually meet up with Randalla Brasshorn. Players who pay
attention to details might notice that her clothes are different... darker,
somehow... if that's any indication of foreshadowing, I don't know what is.
Anyway, she says that the Onyx Tower suddenly appeared and that people began to
die and then rise again. She says she can lead you to the base of the tower.
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Mordoc's Gate II
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As you approach the base of the tower, you are confronted by Randalla. She says
that Xanhast made her his just now, she'll make you hers. The battle begins.
She fights unarmed. After you've defeated her, she says that Xanhast is
guarding his master, Mordoc and that you must save Baldur's Gate. Head into
the Onyx Tower.
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4-4. Onyx Tower
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Onyx Tower I
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NOTE: Of course, people who've played the first game will find this tower very
familiar. It's the same Onyx Tower from the first game. The layout seems to be
different, though.
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As you explore the Onyx Tower, you'll encounter some gargoyles that can throw
fireballs at you and iron golems that spit poison gas at you. Go north, past
the save pedestal and in the side passages to find the room with the stairs
leading to the second level.
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Onyx Tower II
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NOTE: Again, people who've played the first game will recognize the layout of
this floor of the tower. It's the Black Forge level from the first game.
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Here, you'll encounter more fire-breathing gargoyles and iron golems again. Go
through the western door first to eventually reach a room with two weapon
racks. Head back to the other passage and you'll find a save pedestal. Head
north to find the third level of the Tower.
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Onyx Tower III
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Here, more gargoyles and huge iron golem that greets you. Take the eastern
passage first to find a weapon rack at the end of the hall. Then take the west
passage to find treasure chests and the way to the top of the Onyx Tower.
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Onyx Tower Top
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You are confronted by Xanhast at the top of the tower. He says that he turned
Randalla into a vampire and that perhaps he shall add you to his harem as well.
After you've defeated Xanhast, you gain 10000 experience points as a quest
reward. Just a note: If you want to return to Bartley, go back down to the Onyx
Tower's 3rd level or else it won't allow you to recall from the top.
Go through the portal to the Plane of Shadow at the top of the tower whenever
you are ready.
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4-5. Plane of Shadow
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As you enter the Plane of Shadow, you encounter Mordoc SeLanmere. He says he
controls the Onyx Heart and that nothing can defeat him. The strategy here
really depends on what character you are playing. It's fairly dangerous to
engage Mordoc in melee combat since he has a sword draining attack that
literally sucks the life out of you and replenishes his own. Stay away from
that attack at all costs, if you can, engaging him with ranged weapons or
spells if you have to. Also, if he summons his shadow, make sure to kill it
as soon as possible or else he will get to restore his health as well. After
the tough battle, you receive 16000 experience points as a quest reward.
Shatter the Onyx Heart to free the citizens of Baldur's Gate from its curse.
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Baldur's Gate
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You are returned to Baldur's Gate. Randalla says she owes you her life. You are
then treated to a fairly short cutscene between a priest and some sort of
pharaoh-god type creature... which opens up the door for another sequel. Fairly
disappointing ending, if you ask me. The whole final two acts of the game
seemed entirely rushed to me. Oh well. Enjoy the ending credits and try the
game another time at another difficulty level or with another character!
Congratulations!
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NOTE: If you're playing as Dorn Redbear, Randalla says something different to
him, something about him having her heart, or something. Just a continuation
of the flirtation between the two that is present throughout the game.
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S E C R E T S & E A S T E R E G G S
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Play as Drizzt Do'Urden
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Complete the game on any difficulty level at least once to unlock Drizzt. You
can start a new game with him or import him into an existing game. He starts
off at Level 16 Ranger and has his usual equipment (Twinkle, Icingdeath, + 4
Mithral Chain Mail and 3 Healing Potions). Drizzt cannot wear anything heavier
than Scale Mail or Chain Mail and he cannot wield great weapons. Actually, you
can't unequip Twinkle or Icingdeath. To play as him in a new game, at the hero
selection screen, press right when you're at Allessia. Here are Drizzt's
starting character statistics:
Starting Stats
Health : 160/160
Energy : 72/72
Armor : 41
Base Attack : 45
Strength : 13
Dexterity : 20
Constitution : 15
Intelligence : 17
Wisdom : 17
Charisma : 14
Available Feats/Spells: Armor Proficiency (2 ranks maximum), Combat Reflexes,
Death Blow, Deflect Missiles, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Hand Weapon
Focus, Otiluke's Icy Sphere (unique to Drizzt), Improved Critical, Power
Attack, Repulsion (unique to Drizzt), Sprint, Iron Will, Sunder, Toughness,
Two-Weapon Fighting and Willpower.
Starting Equipment:
- Icingdeath (+3 Frost Scimitar)
- Twinkle (+5 Defending Scimitar)
- Mithral Chainmail +4
- 3 Healing Potions
Starting Spells and Feats:
- Armor Proficiency (2 ranks)
- Death Blow (5 ranks)
- Deflect Missiles (3 ranks)
- Great Fortitude (2 ranks)
- Otiluke's Icy Sphere (3 ranks)
- Improved Critical (5 ranks)
- Repulsion (2 ranks)
- Two-Weapon Fighting (1 rank)
- Willpower (1 rank)
Play as Artemis Entreri
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Complete the game on Extreme mode to unlock Artemis. You can start a new game
with him or import him into an existing game. He starts off at Level 16 Human
Assassin and has his special sword, Charon's Claw, among other equipment. Like
Drizzt, Artemis can't unequip his main weapons, Charon's Claw and his Defending
Dagger. Artemis can't wear any armor heaving than padded, leather or studded
leather armor. To play as him in a new game, at the hero selection screen,
press right two times when you're at Allessia. Here are Artemis' starting
character statistics:
Starting Stats
Health : 160/160
Energy : 72/72
Armor : 35
Base Attack : 45
Strength : 14
Dexterity : 20
Constitution : 15
Intelligence : 16
Wisdom : 16
Charisma : 13
Available Feats/Spells: Armor Proficiency (1 rank maximum), Arterial Strike,
Ash Blade (unique to Artemis), Combat Reflexes, Crippling Blow, Death Blow,
Dodge, Endurance, Evasion, Great Fortitude, Hand Weapon Focus, Improved
Critical, Iron Will, Poison, Power Attack, Sprint, Stealth, Sunder, Toughness,
Two-Weapon Fighting and Willpower.
Starting Equipment:
- Charon's Claw
- Defending Dagger
- +4 Grand Leather Armor of Thunder
- 3 Healing Potions
Starting Spells and Feats:
- Armor Proficiency (1 rank)
- Ash Blade (1 rank)
- Death Blow (5 ranks)
- Great Fortitude (2 ranks)
- Improved Critical (5 ranks)
- Poison (1 rank)
- Two-Weapon Fighting (1 rank)
- Willpower (1 rank)
Unlock Extreme Mode
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Complete the game on any difficulty level to unlock Extreme Mode. Extreme Mode
is the hardest difficulty level in the game and you can only play existing
characters in this mode. The monsters are harder than in any mode but you get
better items and more gold in your adventure. I strongly recommend finishing
the game at least once with a character before tackling this mode. Also, make
sure you always upgrade your equipment. Gems can't be bought as much at
Bartley's but you find more during your adventure than in other modes. If you
ever need some gems, try buying some equipment from him that has the gems you
need and breaking the items down.
Loading Screen Flames
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While the game is loading and you see the text Loading, use the R3 analog stick
to move the flames left, right or up. Pretty useless but it's there.
Annoyed Comments
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If you stay put for too long, your character will express his dissatisfaction
with your inaction. Each character will have different stuff to say and there
are different comments and they seem to appear randomly.
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NOTE: I think there are more annoyed comments from the characters than the ones
I've listed here and I haven't included the annoyed comments from the secret
characters. Possibly more coming in a further update.
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Dorn 1: "I should go find some trouble!"
Dorn 2: "You call this 'adventure'? I'm doing nothing!"
Dorn 3: "You there! I thirst for blood and glory!
Get back to playing, before I disembowel you!"
Vhaidra 1: "This waiting serves no purpose."
Vhaidra 2: "Perhaps I should sit and meditate."
Vhaidra 3: "If I have to wait any longer, I'm strangling you with that
controller cord!"
Ysuran 1: "I suppose I could use this time to study."
Ysuran 2: "I will learn nothing just standing here."
Ysuran 3: "There is no purpose to my standing here."
Ysuran 4: "May the shadows take whatever player has left me here to rot!"
Borador 1: *snore*
Borador 2: "Bah! I won't find any gold doing this!"
Allessia 1: "There must be something I can do."
Allessia 2: "I feel as if I have no direction."
Allessia 3: "I should be more vigilant."
Allessia 4: "Helm, hear my voice.
Please find me a player that will actually DO something!"
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L. Frequently Asked Questions
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As the name implies, this section deals with questions that are frequently
asked by people who are playing the game. Some of these questions might seem
dumb to you but please note that not everyone is a gamer and some of these
can be tricky, for some people. With that in mind...
Q: Can you import characters from the first game? Can you play as them?
A: No and no.
Q: Where is the shopkeeper in Baldur's Gate? I can't seem to find him!
A: Bartley, the shopkeeper from the first game, can be found on the street
across the front of the Purple Wyrm Inn. When you first see him, he will
have an exclamation point over his head.
Q: I've tried getting information out of certain characters in Baldur's Gate
but they don't seem to budge. What's wrong?
A: Certain people in the city will only be useful if you're playing a specific
character. Check the guide to see who will interact with who.
Q: Where's the person I can pay to get experience points with Dorn?
There's Durbem for Borador, Omduil for Ysuran, Ulua for Vhaidra and Huros
for Allessia but no one for Dorn! Where is that person?
A: As far as I know, there isn't anyone you can pay with Dorn to get those
bonus experience points. Seems kind of odd that he'd be the only character
not to have a person like that, though. The only person that reacts kind
of differently towards him is Randalla but you can't pay her gold to get
experience... Okay, that came out so wrong...
Q: There are two locked doors in Omduil's Manor that I can't see to get past.
Is there a way to unlock them? What's behind them?
A: There is no way to unlock these doors. If you'll notice, whenever you
encounter some locked doors in the game, you can see what's inside the rooms
on the other side. It's not the case with these doors and you don't even
see the rooms on your Automap either. My guess is that these doors were
supposed to lead somewhere (possibly another location where you'd meet with
Omduil and Jherek to talk about the Elemental Foundations during Act III)
but that those plans were eventually scrapped and/or forgotten when the game
was coded. As for what's behind them, your guess is as good as mine.
Omduil's stash of erotic literature?
Q: How do you get into the room blocked by the stack of crates in the Red Fang
Lair located in Trollbark Forest during the Prologue section?
A: Assuming you've not bashed in all the nearby barrels, push one of them near
the stack of crates and jump on top of it. Jump over the crates that way.
Q: I can't seem to kill those large green humanoid creatures! They keep
getting back up! How can I kill them for good?
A: Those creatures are trolls and they regenerate. The only way to permanently
kill a troll is to use either fire or acid. Use fire-based or acid-based
weapons and/or spells to kill them.
Q: I can't find all the sheets of music in Bloodmire Manor. Where are they?
A: Well, without being able to draw a map of the manor itself, all I can say
is that you should use the Automap feature included in the game and make
sure you open every single chest you encounter. As far as I know, the sheets
are always in the same place and there are 3 on the first floor of the manor
and two on the second floor. Some of these sheets are in rooms that are
behind secret passages. To find these passages, check your map and use the
Action button to open the bookshelves. There is no sheet of music in the
attic.
Q: I've found a woman trapped in Luvia's Laboratory. When I tried opening her
cell, she refused to come out. Later, when Luvia released the poison gas in
the laboratory, I came back but the woman was gone. Can something be done?
A: Nope. Just a detail the makers of the game decided to add, I suppose.
Q: There's a locked door in Luvia's Laboratory I can't seem to unlock.
A: Look in one of the nearby cells. There's a loose stone you can press to open
the door.
Q: There's a Dragon Idol in the Gnoll Cave/Troll Cave in Skull Gorge.
How do I use it, exactly?
A: When you first visit Skull Gorge and the Gnoll Cave, after defeating a
certain gnoll inside the cave, it will drop a reptilian eye. You need to
insert the eye into the Dragon Idol and it will open up the passage to the
secret treasure room in the cave. When you return to Skull Gorge during Act
III, the passage will have remained open, so the Dragon Idol is useless.
However, if you didn't put the eye in the idol the first time through and
you return later in Act III, you won't find the eye and the passage to the
treasure room will remain closed.
Q: How can I defeat Lyran the lich when he appears to me in his private study?
None of my attacks have any effect on him!
A: Well, assuming you've read the bundle of scrolls that are on the table in
his study, you'd know that they speak of Lyran's remains stored in his
Cellar. Head to Lyran's Cellar and from there, you'll learn that you need
to destroy the urns containing his body parts to destroy him.
Q: Where is the Orb of Thunder in Lyran's Hold?
A: Once you've defeated Lyran down in the Cellar, you'll have Lyran's Hand.
Use it to gain access to Lyran's Observatory on the first floor of his Hold.
The Orb of Thunder is inside the Weather Machine in the Observatory.
Q: Where is the Jade Octahedron?
A: Deep inside the Halls of the Hammer, inside the bowels of the Chimera.
Q: Where is the Brazier of Eternal Flame?
A: Ulchalothe the mind flayer has it. Her lair lies deep beneath Dragonspear
Castle.
Q: Where is the Oceanic Urn?
A: It's on the altar in the room past where you fought Dibtolpt in the Sea
Temple on Seer's Isle. Once you return to Baldur's Gate, it gets stolen and
you must recover it from the village of Hill's Edge from the Zhentarim.
Q: Where is the Holy Symbol of Tempus under Dragonspear Castle?
A: It's on the first level of the Dragonspear Dungeons in a closed cell.
Q: Where are those scrolls Ulua mentions to me that are being guarded in the
Dark Monastery? I can't find them!
A: Actually, by defeating Draezen Direhand, you automatically find the scrolls,
it seems. Just return to Baldur's Gate and speak to Ulua to complete the
quest and gain access to Vhaidra's special feats.
Q: One of the hints that appear during the periods of loading time speaks of
a basilisk and how its gaze can turn you to stone. I've never encountered
one. Where is it?
A: The basilisk can only be encountered during Borador's special quest in
Gandam's Hold.
Q: How do I open the prison door in the Keep of Pale Night Dungeons?
A: In the huge chamber with the sarcophagi and the fireball pillars, there are
five different levers you need to pull. Once they've all been pulled, the
prison door will unlock.
Q: How do I open that secret side room where near where the 3 heroes are kept
as prisoners? I've tried looking for a lever but I can't find it.
A: Actually, to open that secret door, you need to push on a loose stone that
is located in the northeast corner of the main room. Use your action button
to press the stone and the passage will open.
Q: Where is the hero's magic weapon in the Keep of Pale Night Dungeons?
A: Search all the sarcophagi in the surrounding huge chamber.
Q: How do I unlock Drizz Do'Urden? How do I choose him?
A: Beat the game on any difficulty setting. Then, you can either start a new
game or import him into an existing one. To play as him in a new game, on
the hero selection screen, press right at Allessia to select him.
Q: How do I unlock Artemis Entreri? How do I choose him?
A: Beat the game on Extreme mode. Then, you can either start a new game or
import him into an existing one. To play as him in a new game, on the hero
selection screen, press right two times at Allessia to select him.
Q: Do Drizzt and Artemis have any special quests like the other characters?
A: Sadly, no. It would have been a really nice touch to have special quests
related to these characters, possibly from the novels or something but alas,
there is none. They can still participate in the other character's quests
if they're playing with them, though.
Q: What is the highest level my character can reach?
A: The game's limit seems to be set to level 40. Once you reach level 40, the
amount of experience points required to level up is set to 99,999,992. I'm
sure there are people out there who will find ways of reaching higher levels
either by using some cheat codes or some other tricks but the game's actual
limit is 40.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
M. My Review
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
(Written before I first finished the game.)
The first Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game was a sleeper hit when it was
released in late 2001. It eventually made it the Greatest Hits collection and
fans of the game were waiting impatiently for the sequel, especially with the
cliffhanger ending of the first game looming. The game was delayed a lot for
various legal reasons but it's finally here. Does it compare to the original?
Is it better? In my opinion, yes to both questions.
Graphics : 10/10
Even though the quality of the graphics hasn't really improved compared to the
original, they are still just as amazing. What I really like about the graphics
in this game is the attention to detail. The way enemies fall down after you've
slain them (they all fall in different ways, pieces of their equipment being
thrown sometimes pretty far away), the lighting, the ambiance, the shadows,
everything about this game graphically is a wonder to watch. Don't base
yourself on screenshots along to gage the graphics for this game. You need to
see the game in action to get the full impact.
Sound : 8/10
This is the part of the game that disappointed me the most. Some themes from
the first game reappear and some are even remixed, including the main theme on
the menu selection screen. However, some music is completely copied over from
the first game. In itself, that's not necessarily a bad thing but I just wish
there'd been more original music for this game. The sound effects are pretty
much the same as in the first game and they work well in immersing you in the
gaming experience.
Story : 10/10
In my review for the first game, I talked about how the story was weak compared
to the PC version of the Baldur's Gate games and looking back, I can see that
it's not really a fair assessment. It's a given that the PC versions of
roleplaying games will have more extensive stories, simply because the style of
game the Dark Alliance series has taken has been more hack & slash than actual
role-playing. However, what I really like about the story in the sequel is that
there are returning characters from the first game and it all ties in
wonderfully well with the events that happen in the first game.
I've not completed the game yet but I'm totally intrigued in the story, so far.
If you actually take the time to think about the story and how the various
plots weave together, it's fairly interesting.
Gameplay : 10/10
Fans of the first game will find the same amazing gameplay in the sequel, along
with some improved controls to make switching between feats and spells that
make combat a lot easier. Navigation using the analog control stick is smooth
and intuitive and a real joy to play.
Replayability : 10/10
Like in the first game, there are 4 difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard and
Extreme, the last level being unlocked once you finish the game once on any
level). I hear there are some secret characters to be unlocked once you finish
the game once and another time on Extreme mode. Since there are now 5 character
classes to choose from instead of only 3, there's a lot more replayability in
this one too. The game is also longer than the first one, with more extensive
dungeons. However, since none of the dungeons are randomized, after you've done
them a few times, it'll be pretty easy. The game is less linear than the first
one, meaning you can sometimes accomplish the various quests in the Acts in the
order you prefer, so that gives a little bit more replayability. Also, they've
included an item creation feature in the game, that allows you to customize
your equipment using rune stones and gems, so there's a lot of different
combinations to try out.
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