Game Daze #3: "Baldur's Gate" Day 3

by Joshua Packard, Fullness of Happy

I have finally been making some progress beyond just level grinding in Baldur's Gate.  I decided to dismiss Garrick the bard from my party because he just was getting killed too many times, because he has so few hitpoints.  My party was down to three, my character named Ragnarok, Imoen the thief, and Kivan the Elf Ranger.  After leveling up to about level 5 for each of my characters, I decided to try going to the Friendly Arm Inn to see if I could defeat the mage who tries to kill me when I approach the inn.  Usually he kills me in less than 3 seconds.  This time the tables were turned.  I had equipped a Long Sword +1 for Ragnarok, and Imoen and Kivan fired arrows rapidly at the enemy and he was killed in a couple of seconds.

The reason for going to the Friendly Arm Inn is because Gorion, the person who was my characters guardian, told me to go their to meet two of his friend, Khalid and Jaheira.  I guess I should describe some of the story from here.  In the beginning of the game, my guardian, Gorion, tells me to get equipped because we must leave Candlekeep, where my character has lived since youth.  Apparently, there is someone intent on killing myself and others for some reason, which I do not know as of yet.  As Gorion and I leave, we are ambushed by a man and his cohort.  They kill Gorion but I escape.  I do not know the reason why I have been targeted, but apparently there is a reward for anyone who can kill me.

Now that I have recruited Khalid and Jaheira to my party, I am going south to Nashkel, where something is wrong with the mines.  Apparently all the iron produced in the region is tainted and most metal weapons and other items break very easily.  So that is where I will be headed next time I play Baldur's Gate.  I might do some more leveling in areas where the monsters are more difficult and provide more experience points, but we will see when I actually play.  I will let you know in my next entry.  If anyone has experience playing Baldur's Gate, don't hesitate to let me know.