User manual GAMES PC BALLYHOO MAPS

[. . . ] Baldur's Gate uses the AD&D 2nd Edition rules, the oldest and most popular role-playing game rules in the paper-and-pen world. This isn't just any role-playing game, this is the granddaddy of them all. Well, somebody had to write the 2nd Edition rules back in '89 and I and some other lucky souls were entrusted with that job. Back then, we were creating strictly for the paper-and-pencil, sit-around-the-table, face-to-face game. [. . . ] Note to the unwary: Some spells improve the Charisma of your party relative to others for example, the Charm spells. However, these spells so alter the perception of the recipient that they may forget dealings they have had with you. They will also be hostile towards you when the spell wears off, so be careful whom you target. You could potentially close off quests you could have otherwise completed. Reputation Effects on Party Members Each party member has five different states determined by their alignment. Each of these states correspond to the four different verbal dialogue cues that a character has (that is, a character won't complain if he or she is happy, but if the character is in any other state, complaints will be heard). A table shows how the party's reputation will alter their state (based on the character's alignment) on pg 145. Volo Combat in Baldur's Gate A s discussed above, Baldur's Gate follows the AD&D rule system closely. The main difference lies in the real-time adaptations to the personal initiative rounds. The computer takes care of most of the underlying rules, to allow you to become more immersed in the story and the world of the game. More Than just Hack and Slash As important as fighting is to the AD&D game, it isn't the be-all and end-all of play. If characters could do nothing but fight, the game would quickly get boring every encounter would be the same. A roll of `natural' 1 is considered a critical miss and imposes a time penalty on the character to recover. Regardless of Armor Class, a `natural' 20 always hits, a `natural' 1 always misses. Improving the Odds in Combat In combat, many factors can modify the number a character needs for a successful hit. These variables are reflected in modifiers to the to-hit number or to the attack roll. Strength Modifiers: A character's Strength can modify the die roll, altering both the chance to hit and the damage caused. This modifier is always applied to melees and attacks with hurled missile weapons (a dagger or an axe). Magical items: The magical properties of a weapon can also modify combat. Items that impart a bonus to the attack roll or Armor Class are identified by a plus sign. For example, a sword +1 improves a character's chance to hit by one and inflicts +1 damage if the attack is successful. A suit of chain mail +1 improves the Armor Class of the character by one beyond normal, "non-magical" chain mail (which means you subtract one from the character's AC, changing an AC of 5 to an AC of 4, for example). Cursed items have a negative modifier (a penalty), resulting in a subtraction from the attack roll or an addition to Armor Class. There is no limit to the number of modifiers that can be applied to a single die roll. [. . . ] Modem and Network Play: If the Software contains modem or network play, you may play the Software via modem transmission with another person or persons directly without transmission through a third party service or indirectly through a third party service only if such service is an authorized licensee of Interplay. For the purposes of this license, a third party service refers to any third party service which provides a connection between two or more users of the Software, manages, organizes, or facilitates game play, translates protocols, or otherwise provides a service which commercially exploits the Software, but does not include a third party service which merely provides a telephonic connection (and nothing more) for modem or network play. Authorized licensee services are listed on the Interplay Productions World Wide Web Site located at http://www. interplay. com. This limited right to transmit the Software expressly excludes any transmission of the Software or any data streams thereof on a commercial basis, including, without limitation, transmitting the Software by way of a commercial service (excepting those specific commercial services licensed by Interplay) which translates the protocols or manages or organizes game play sessions. [. . . ]