Do people ever solo BGI?

krunchyfrogg · Post by **krunchyfrogg** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 1:02 pm

I'm giving it a try for the first time, and I have to admit that certain things are a lot harder this way (but that's why we solo, right?). I had to keep reloading my fight against Silke, her magic missiles were too much for me!

Anyway, I'm playing a Gnome Fighter/Illusionist, and am levels 4/4. I'm going to try to tackle the Naskell mines, and I hope Mirror Image is effective against traps, because I've got no way of dealing with them!

So, I always read about people soloing BGII, but rarely BGI. If you've tried this, what were your results?

JackOfClubs · Post by **JackOfClubs** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:21 pm

I have soloed BG with a Bard and with a Fighter/Mage/Thief. It isn't easy to get by without a thief, but it is possible. Mirror Image will indeed protect you from some traps, and the ones it doesn't work on are usually survivable. Beware, however, of the spider web "traps". Make sure you have some access to free action or these will ruin your day.

Also, watch out for being charmed or dominated. While this is no problem in a party, if you are on your own it is considered equivalent to instant death.

You will find that some encounters are actually easier solo than they are with a party. Specifically, the maze in Gullykin/Firewine is easier because you don't have to worry about unprotected party members getting killed. Invisibility and the wands of Fire and Monster Summoning will turn out to be your best friends.

EDIT: SPOILER

By the way, there is a trick to killing Silke when you are low level. Her third or fourth spell is usually Lightning Bolt so if you position yourself carefully, you can get her to bounce it off the buildings and fry herself in the process. I think the correct position is just to the NW of her, or about 10 o'clock. Having a potion of Absorption (or a Mirror Image) can be helpful here.

Ravager · Post by **Ravager** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:45 am

That must be really tricky as you are stuck to level 5 spells. Here's an idea, download Tutu and be a multi-class sorceror - then you learn spells that aren't available in BGI and storm the oppositon. Yeah, it probably will be too easy!

Good luck with the soloing. I expect the lightning traps in any maze stting could be a problem, especially when it bounces off the narrow corridor edges with you in the middle. How many Mirror images do you have(?)

VonDondu · Post by **VonDondu** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 2:11 am

[QUOTE=krunchyfrogg]I hope Mirror Image is effective against traps, because I've got no way of dealing with them![/QUOTE]
Have you tried using summoned monsters to set off traps? I don't know if they set off all traps, but I'm pretty sure they set off a few. Of course, since the monsters don't stay around very long, it helps to know where all of traps are in advance, which is meta-gaming or cheating, if you prefer.

I once tried to solo BG1 with a Fighter/Mage/Thief, and I got bored before I finished the Nashkel Mines. I leveled up rather quickly because I know how to "milk the experience cows", and that was part of the problem--it wasn't a game anymore; it was just going through the motions. If you still find the game exciting, maybe you won't have that problem.

But don't get me wrong--I'm not as jaded as I used to be. In fact, I just started a new game last week with a Cleric/Ranger and Imoen (7th Level Thief dualled to a Mage). One of the things I had forgotten is how much I enjoy the music.

[QUOTE=JackOfClubs]Her third or fourth spell is usually Lightning Bolt so if you position yourself carefully, you can get her to bounce it off the buildings and fry herself in the process.[/QUOTE]
But if you do that, you don't get the experience for killing her. If that happened to me by accident, I would reload just so I could kill her myself.

JackOfClubs · Post by **JackOfClubs** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:21 pm

I think my goal at that point was to get her +1 quarterstaff rather than any XP. As you say, you level up rather quickly when soloing. But I assume you could probably work it so that she was near death rather than dead. In fact, this happens rather more frequently than not because you have to get the angles just right to get her to zap herself more than once.

On the other hand, all this meta-gaming detail is probably not what krunchyfrogg was looking for...

keeB · Post by **keeB** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:07 pm

its possible to solo in 1 hour.

http://speeddemosarchive.com/BaldursGate.html

that is a video of a guy doing it with a fighter/thief.