Baldur's Gate Mechanics for Non-D&D Players

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition★ 5 · 620 ratings25k views1k favorites15 min readby oceankaiUpdated Apr 25, 2021View on Steam ↗

7 Things Before Playing (read this if nothing else)

Sample starting character. If you just want to get straight to the action, create a similar character.
  • Roll until you get 80+ in stat points. Maximize (18) your class's primary stat, followed by Constitution. Don't worry about the second number beside "Strength", if any.

  • THAC0 is your "chance to hit," AC is your "chance to avoid hits." These should be low or negative, and weapons and armor (beneficially) decrease them. Later versions of the game color-code equipment comparisons to remind you of this system.

  • Do not use weapons that a character is untrained in. Do not dual-wield if without training either. Characters suffer extensive combat penalties for doing so.

  • Memorize spells in the spellbook before casting them. Mages learn new spells from scrolls. Spells are "recharged" by resting. A spellcaster for the main character makes for a challenging first playthrough, due to the need to understand dozens of different spells.

  • Attacks displaying the "no effect" combat message are probably due to using lesser-enchanted weapons (such as +1, +2, etc.). Stronger enemies often have protections against lesser armaments.

  • If the main character dies, the game immediately ends and you must reload a previous save. Therefore, a tanky main character makes the game easier, since you can revive your other party members if they die, but they can't revive you. I.e., a Fighter main character and a Wizard party member is an easier combination than the other way around.

  • Every 1 point change in THAC0, AC, save chance, etc, is about a 5% change.

Character Creation

Quick Summary
- Roll until you get 80+, about a 1% chance per roll.
- 18 points in your primary stat, as noted by your character class page.
- Any class is viable, there are plenty of early NPC's to balance the party.
Stat Points
Baldur's Gate breaks up stats (Character Ability Scores) into six categories. Stat points in Baldur's Gate are much more valuable than in other games, and the game presents you with few chances to raise them.

18 is the highest any stat can be at character creation (excluding racial bonuses). Try to maximize your class's "primary" stat, noted on the class selection screen. Other stats (such a constitution to increase hit points) should be 15+ to gain a benefit. Stats lower than 10 usually penalize your character in some way.

You have unlimited re-rolls in Baldur's Gate when rolling your characters stats. A high roll is 80 or higher. Continually re-rolling for a few more points has a negligible impact and delays getting into the action. The odds of an 80+ is about 1 in 100. For fun, the odds a perfect 108 roll is about 1 in 1.5 billion. I wouldn't keep trying for it.

Edit for D&D nerds: There's a debate over the algorithm used to generate Baldur's Gate scores, and the developers have changed it at some point. In typical D&D, players roll either 3d6 or 4d6 and drop the lowest die, for a result of 3-18, though Baldur's Gate will increase low rolls to the minimum required for the chosen class, and may weight the rolls in other ways. The point remains that trying to roll perfect scores is a waste of time with negligible impact on the game.

Parties and NPC’s
All races, classes, class kits, weapon proficiencies, and specializations are viable options, and NPC's can fill any desired roles in the party.

A "balanced" party typically consists of a melee warrior (fighter, barbarian), a thief (or trap disarmer/chest unlocker), an arcane spellcaster (mage, sorcerer), and a divine spellcaster (cleric, druid).
However, NPC's will usually not perfectly fit into this mold, and Baldur's Gate offers six party members, giving a chance to mix-and-match alternatives.

Alignment and Moral Decisions
Alignment represents your characters moral compass mainly has a thematic effect. Choose an alignment that loosely reflects the kinds of decisions you will make. NPC party members have alignments as well, and acting against those alignments or mixing a party of good and evil characters together may end up with conflicts between party members.

Weapons and Combat

Quick Summary
- THAC0 is your chance to hit with a weapon, the lower, the better.
- AC is your chance to avoid weapon hits, the lower, the better.
- Only use weapons you have invested skill points in.
- Damage numbers are represented by dice rolled.
- Combat is internally broken up into "rounds", though the game presents it as real-time.
AC and THAC0
AC (armor class) represents how difficult you are to hit, while THAC0 (To Hit Armor Class Zero) represents your chance of hitting your target with a weapon. You want both of these numbers to be low, even negative. A low THAC0 makes you more likely to hit your target, and a low AC makes you more likely to avoid an attack against you. The exact chance to hit or miss is a more complex calculation, but you can think of it as a probability based on the difference between the attackers THAC0 vs. the defenders AC. Attack Roll bonuses further increase the chance of a successful hit.

Physical attacks either hit and do full damage, or miss and do no damage. AC only increases the chance to avoid a hit; it doesn't reduce injury from a successful hit. AC does not influence avoiding spells.

This character has a -5 AC, 110 Hit Points, -3 THAC0, and does 9-14 damage each round. The boxes on the right show where these benefits came. For example, the "Gnasher +2" weapon is reducing THAC0 by 2 -- an example of an item (beneficially) decreasing a number instead of increasing it. Note: Future patches made these screens look slightly different, but the underlying mechanics remain the same.

AGAIN, IMPORTANT: AC and THAC0 should both be as low as possible. Equipping armor or investing in weapon points lowers both of these values. It will be very apparent if an item detriments a character (such as a cursed item). You will never become weaker from leveling up, even if some numbers on the character sheet decrease.

Weapon Proficiency
Characters can use any weapon their class allows but will suffer significant penalties for using a weapon they have no proficiency point in. Characters also suffer from dual-wielding without the appropriate proficiency. It's acceptable to invest heavily into one type of weapon, as there are many weapons of every type to be had in Baldur's Gate. How many proficiency points you can place in weapon skills depends on your class.

Advice: Never dual-wield without the appropriate skill, as it incurs significant penalties when attacking. Additionally, never use a weapon that your character isn't proficient in unless you find yourself in a dire situation where your primary weapon is ineffective against the enemy.

Damage
Baldur’s Gate lists damage in terms of _d_, such as 3d6, or 1d4+1. For example, 3d6 means three six-sided dice, for a possible result of 3-18, and 1d4+1 means one four-sided die, +1 for a possible result of 2-5.

Spellcasting

Quick Summary
- Different classes cast either Divine or Arcane spells, which are different pools of spells.
- Mages learn new spells from scrolls, Sorcerers select new spells at level up.
- Divine spellcasters have an innate knowledge of all their spells and do not need to learn them.
- Most casters prepare their desired available spells in their spellbook.
- Spells are castable once per memorization and are recharged when the party rests.
- Saving Throws (a "save") offers a chance to diminish/avoid some spell effects, much like AC for spells. The lower the better.
Types of Spellcasters
Mages and Sorcerers are Arcane spellcasters, while Clerics and Druids are Divine spellcasters; this determines which pool of spells they access. Bards, Paladins, and Rangers have limited access to spells and aren't classified as spellcasting classes. Divine spells generally favor healing, protection, and combat buffs, Arcane spells generally favor offensive power.
Learning New Spells
Mages learn new spells by reading spell scrolls and writing them to their spellbook, which permanently adds them to the mage's repertoire. Bards and Sorcerers select a few spells to learn when they level up, though they cannot learn new spells any other way. Spellcasters can consume a scroll for a one-time use of the spell.

Divine casters all have an innate knowledge of every spell accessible to them based on their class level, and new ones become available automatically.

Memorization and Casting
Spells do not use mana or a similar resource. Instead, casters memorize some number of their spells each day, and exhaust that spell when cast. These are referred to as "spell slots."

Bards and Sorcerers prepare spells differently than Mages. Instead of memorizing specific spells ahead of time, they can cast any of their known spells at any time, up to some number of "casts" per day. They must still rest to regain their "casts" once they exhaust them.

In summary, Mages know more spells but can cast fewer per day and must plan their use, while Sorcerers know fewer spells but can cast more per day and without planning. Either class learns the same pool of spells otherwise; only the method of memorization and casting differs.

Specialist mages gain an extra spell slot of each level, but cannot cast spells from an opposing school. For example, a Necromancer cannot cast Illusion spells. Specializing often makes initial playthroughs much more difficult, due to the lack of "counter" magic.

Examples of total known spells and available spells per day of different classes (same level).
This mage knows fourteen 3rd-level spells and can memorize any combination of 5 casts of them. Mages must plan since only their memorized spells will be available to them during a fight.
This sorcerer only knows four 3rd-level spells, but can cast any of them without prior memorization, up to 6 casts. Note that the sorcerer has access to the same pool of spells as the mage does.
This cleric already has access to all their spells but is still subject to the same memorization as mages are. Note the different pool of spells available, as the cleric is a divine spellcaster instead of arcane.
Red spells are usually offensive, blue are defensive, and white are utility.
Spell Failure
Casting a spell requires a short incantation before the spell completes. If an enemy strikes a spellcaster during their incantation, the spellcaster has a chance to lose their concentration, and waste the spell. If so, the spell does nothing, and the spell is still used up. Rapidly attacking mages to interrupt their spellcasting is a valid combat strategy.
Saving Throws
Some spells offer a "saving throw" (or, "save") to diminish or negate some of the effects of the spell. Characters have a probability of succeeding their saving throw based on the spellcaster's level, modified by their own "save vs." the effect type, such as poison, petrification, or spell.

For instance, Fireball has a 1/2 save vs. spell. Characters hit by a fireball who succeed in their saving throw take half damage from Fireball. Characters who fail take full damage. Some spells, such as Finger of Death, instantly kill their target if the saving throw fails. Not all spells offer a saving throw.

Like AC and THAC0, saving throw numbers should be low or negative. Also, like THAC0 and AC, an item which gives you "+2 to Saving Throws", (beneficially) reduces your saving throws by 2.

Two different spells, one offering a full save (negating the spell), and one offering no save at all.
Spell Durations
One round is 6 seconds long. One turn is 10 rounds (60 seconds).
Common Protections
Note: Spellcaster vs. Spellcaster strategy is too complicated for a quick explanation and is not covered in this guide. Spellcasters often cast protections against spells, weapons, and damage which may need to be dispelled, removed, or waited out before attacks or spells become effective. There's no simple way to know which buffs or protections a spellcaster has or the correct way to remove them.

If a direct spell can't target an enemy spellcaster, they're probably under the effect of an illusion spell such as Shadow Door. Dispel such spells with True Sight or another illusion-breaking spell. area-of-effect spells such as Fireball or Death Cloud still affect such enemies.

If an enemy spellcaster appears immune to weapon attacks, but a "no effect" message doesn't display, they're probably under the effect of Stoneskin. Stoneskin absorbs 5-10 hits before wearing off.

FAQ and Miscellaneous Information

How do thief skills work?
Open Locks, Find Traps, Detect Illusions, and Set Traps are a percentage success chance; there is no benefit to raising them above 100.

Pick Pockets is a percentage as well, but modified by the weight of the object the character steals. Stealing from merchants uses Pick Pockets' skill level as well.

Move Silently and Hide in Shadows are not directly percentage-based, and depend on visibility and the environment. For stealth calculation reasons, ignore Hide In Shadows entirely in favor of Move Silently.

Why can't I backstab as a thief?
Backstabbing requires you to be invisible or hidden and behind the target. It also requires a thief-specific weapon, so a Fighter/Thief multiclass cannot backstab with a two-handed sword, for example. Some enemies are naturally immune to backstab.
What does Turn Undead do?
Turn Undead drives off or routs (known as turning) nearby undead. Higher-level clerics can destroy undead with turning, and evil-aligned clerics can take control of them temporarily.
How do I prevent Hold, Charm, Domination, Sleep, Fear, Stun, etc.?
Spells, items, or potions offer temporary bonuses or immunities to these and other spell effects. This is especially useful if a character doesn't have a high saving throw against them (or the spell doesn't offer a saving throw). These types of effects are far more dangerous and have longer durations than is typical of a computer RPG.
How do I kill trolls?
Hit a "knocked down" troll with any fire or acid attack, such as a weapon, spell, or arrow, spell. Trolls become "knocked down" at 1HP, and will quickly regenerate and continue fighting if not killed off with fire or acid. It's acceptable to use non-proficient weapons for the final attack in these situations if there's no way to kill trolls otherwise.
How do I cure level drain/energy drain?
Cure Level Drain with a Restoration (greater or lesser) spell, visit a temple and pay for one to be cast on the afflicted character. Resting cures any restoration-related fatigue. Some enemies, like the undead, can inflict level drain when they hit a character. Level drain modifies the afflicted characters stats as if they were at a lower experience level; this can (negatively) reduce things such as THAC0 and the number of available spells.

Note that if a spellcaster becomes affected by level drain, some of their spell slots may be empty after restoration and will need re-memorization.

What are hit dice?
"Hit Dice" is essentially synonymous with "level". If a spell only affects a target with 5 or fewer hit dice, it means a target that's level 5 or less. Dual-class or multiclass characters use the sum of their combined levels for hit dice calculations.
Why can't I target an enemy mage with a spell?
The mage is untargetable due to a spell such as Invisibility or Shadow Door. Dispel the invisibility with a spell such as True Sight.
Why can't I save the game?
You cannot save when certain NPC's are in scripted motion, or while certain timed spells, such as Web or Death Fog are active.
Why isn't my character drinking a potion when I click on it?
Baldur's Gate has an internal '[combat] round' timer every six seconds. If a character has already acted for the round, it delays it until the start of the next round. Essentially, you can't chug potions one after another, each one takes its own round to drink. This is also why spellcasters might take a few seconds to begin their incantation.
Can party members permanently die?
Yes. If a character's portrait is removed from your sidebar when killed, that character died for good. Lower difficulties disallow perma-death.
Where can I find characters I've dismissed?
Generally at the Copper Coronet in the Slums district, though some characters loiter in other places, and will tell you when dismissed. Others may never return.
I can't equip an item due to "This item cannot be equipped due to other magical equipment you are already wearing"?
You cannot equip two items with overlapping bonuses, even if the items differ. There are a few exceptions to this, but in general, you cannot overlap similar benefits. Ring of the Princess +1 and The Spirits Shield +2 cannot be equipped at the same time because they offer the same bonus, even though their bonus amounts differ.
Why can't I can't hit this enemy, no matter what weapon I use?
Some stronger enemies are immune to lesser-enchanted weapons (either naturally or with a spell). If you ever see a "Weapon ineffective" message when attacking, try using a higher-enchanted weapon. Enchanted weapons generally have a + in their name, like Longsword +1, or Adjatha the Drinker +2. If a spell grants the immunity, you can also dispel it or wait for it to expire. Additionally, some types of enemies (such as skeletons or golems) take reduced or negate damage from certain weapon types. A few weapons, such as Staff of the Magi, count as enchanted weapons even if they don't have a + in the name.

IMPORTANT: Some spells make the caster immune to magical weapons. In this case, only an unenchanted weapon (or ammunition) can strike the caster.

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