User manual GAMES MICROSOFT XBOX ICEWIND DALE 2

Table of Contents Welcome to Icewind Dale II ..........................................................2 How To Use This Manual ................................................................3 How To Install and Start Playing ....................................................3 How To Get Help ..........................................................................4 Starting Out ..........................................................................5 Party Choice ..........................................................................5 Character Generation ......................................................................6 The Interface ..........................................................................9 Muliplayer ........................................................................25 Faerûn and the North ....................................................................29 The Dungeons & Dragons Rules....................................................38 Experience and Gaining Levels ................................................44 Races and Sub-Races................................................................47 Classes ........................................................................50 Skills ........................................................................63 Feats ........................................................................65 Magic and the Spell System ..........................................................73 Spells ........................................................................75 Outfitting Yourself ......................................................................132 Arming Yourself ......................................................................133 Magic Items and Treasure ..........................................................135 Tables ......................................................................134 Table 1: Character Ability Scores ............................................134 Table 2: Experience and Level Dependent Benefits Chart ......135 Table 3: Base Save and Base Attack Bonuses ..........................136 Table 4: Monk Unarmed Bonuses ..........................................137 Table 5: Spell Progression ......................................................138 Table 6: Simple Weapons........................................................145 Table 7: Martial Weapons ......................................................146 Table 8: Armor ......................................................................147 Table 9: Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties ................................147 Credits ......................................................................148 Index ......................................................................150 Interplay Contact Information......................................................152 1 ICEWIND DALE II Black Isle Studios is pleased to bring to you Icewind DaleTM II, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Icewind DaleTM. Using the Dungeons & Dragons® Third Edition rules, Icewind Dale II continues the classic dungeon crawling experience of the first game, with a horde of new monsters to slay, spells to unleash, and areas to explore in the windswept north of the FORGOTTEN REALMS®. A grave new threat has arisen in the North, a threat that seeks to seal off the Ten-Towns from the rest of Faerûn in a bitter power struggle. The town of Bremen has fallen, and a vicious horde of goblins, orcs, and bugbears have gathered beneath the mysterious banner of the Chimera and are marching on the port town of Targos. Fearing that they will be overrun, Targos has sent out a call for all able-bodied adventurers, soldiers, and mercenaries to sail north to stand with the town's defenders against the encroaching horde. You and your companions have answered the call. Icewind Dale II uses a highly modified version of the BioWare Infinity EngineTM, originally developed by BioWare Corp. for Baldur's GateTM and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of AmnTM. Among the many features included in Icewind Dale II, you will now be able to choose new races like the Half-Orcs and sub-races like the Gold Dwarves. You may even play some of the Underdark races, including the Drow and the Duergar. For players who like to equip two scimitars and do a spinning dance of death through their enemies, Two Weapon Fighting has also been included. Many of the mechanics described in this manual will be familiar to those who have played the Baldur's Gate series and Icewind Dale. If you wish to refresh your knowledge of the interface, feel free to thumb through the manual and read what you wish. The notable differences you will find are the change from AD&D Second Edition rules to D&D Third Edition rules including new races, skills, feats, spells, and the world background, which describes the port city of Targos and its inhabitants. Welcome to Icewind Dale II. 2 2 How To Use This Manual This manual is intended as a reference guide for Icewind Dale II, not something that needs to be read from cover to cover. Refer to it when you need to, or if you are confused about a certain aspect of gameplay. Several tables and an index have been provided at the end of the book to allow you to get the information you need at a glance, and a quick reference card has been included in the game box. This manual is divided into two parts. The first part gives you the information you need to create your party, use the new interface, and run multiplayer games in Icewind Dale II. It's the nuts and bolts of the game, and it has everything you need to get up and running. The second part, "The North," gives you information on the city of Targos, the world of the FORGOTTEN REALMS, and definitions of certain aspects of the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules, which may be new to some players. How To Install and Start Playing To install Icewind Dale II, first insert the CD-ROM labeled Icewind Dale II Disc 1 into your CD-ROM drive and follow the on-screen instructions. If your Autorun is not enabled, click on the icon representing your CDROM Drive under `My Computer' from your desktop. This will bring up a listing of the files on Icewind Dale II Disc 1. Find AUTORUN.EXE and double-click to launch the install application. Press the `Install' button to begin installation. After installing the game, other options will be available on the launch menu: Play. After you have everything set, click on the Play button to begin playing. After viewing the logo and introduction movies, select "New Game" to go directly into Party Choice and begin your adventure in Icewind Dale II. View Readme. The readme file contains last minute information and changes that could not be printed in this manual. Please take the time to view the readme file if you are having any problems with this product. Uninstall. When you're ready, the Uninstall option will remove Icewind Dale II from your computer, except your saved games. Exit will close the launch window. Starting Icewind Dale II from the Desktop: After you have installed the game, if your Icewind Dale II CD is already in your CD-ROM Drive or the Autorun menu did not pop up after putting in the CD - go to your Start Menu, select Programs, and then select the Black Isle program group and finally the Icewind Dale II selection. At another time, you might also want to look at the other interesting programs and material that was installed along with Icewind Dale II under the Black Isle program group. 3 How To Get Help Troubleshooting Documents Online! Interplay Entertainment Corp. Technical Support now offers troubleshooting guides with complete installation and setup instructions as well as information that will help you overcome the most common difficulties. If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can find these at www.interplay.com/support/. Here you will find troubleshooting information on as well as information on regular system maintenance and performance. (For game-specific information and additional troubleshooting, visit our main page at www.interplay.com) If you have questions about the program, our Technical Support Department can help. Our web-site contains up-to-date information on the most common difficulties with our products, and this information is the same as that used by our product support technicians. We keep the product support pages updated on a regular basis, so please check here first for no-wait solutions: www.interplay.com/support/ If you are unable to find the information you need on our web site, please feel free to contact Technical Support via e-mail, phone, fax, or letter. Please be sure to include the following information in your e-mail message, fax, or letter: · Title of Game · Operating system (Windows® 95,Windows® 98, Windows® ME, Windows® 2000, Windows® XP) · CPU type and speed in MHZ · Amount of RAM · CD-ROM · A copy of the Direct X Diagnostic Report · A description of the problem you're having If you need to talk to someone immediately, call us at (949) 553-6678 Monday through Friday between 8:00AM-5:45PM, Pacific Standard Time. Our automated wizard is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. Please have the above information ready when you call. This will help us answer your question in the shortest possible time. When you call you will initially be connected with our automated wizard. For information pertaining to your specific title, press "1" on the main menu and listen carefully to all prompts. All titles are listed alphabetically. After you have selected your title, the most common difficulties will be listed. If the difficulty you are having is not listed or you need additional assistance, you may press "0" on your games main menu, and you will be transferred to a Technical Support representative. No hints or codes are available from this line. Interplay Entertainment Corp. Support Fax: (949) 252-2820 Interplay Entertainment Corp. Technical Support 16815 Von Karman Avenue · Irvine, CA 92606 HOW TO REACH US ONLINE INTERNET E-MAIL: support@interplay.com WORLD WIDE WEB: www.interplay.com FTP: ftp.interplay.com 4 4 Starting Out You can play Icewind Dale II either solo (creating your own party) or multiplayer (adventuring with one or more of your friends, with each of you controlling one or more characters). The following directions regarding character creation and interface apply equally to both types of games, but the means of starting a singleplayer game and a multiplayer game differ. Single Player Game: When you begin the game, you'll be presented with the Main Menu screen. If you wish to start a single player game, make sure the Game Mode at the top of the menu is set to "Single Player" (it should be by default), then select "New Game," and you'll be taken to the Party Choice Screen. New to Icewind Dale II is the Party Choice Screen. Here you can select an adventuring party that has already been created, so that you can start adventuring immediately. From this screen you can also choose to modify a selected party, which you might want to do if you like one of the parties offered, but want to change a character or two. You can also choose to create a whole party from scratch. The choice is yours. If you chose to create your own party, you will be presented with six empty character slots, each with a "Create Character" button. Each of these slots allows you to create a brand new character by clicking on the button. To create a brand new character, follow the steps listed in "Character Generation" on page 6. Once you have created a character, the empty slot will be replaced with the character's name. You can remove a character by clicking on the name of the character, then on the "Delete" button on the sub-menu that pops up. Doing so frees up the slot for another character. If you wish to back out of this screen simply select "Exit." Click "Done" when you have created all the characters for your party, and Icewind Dale II will begin. For more information on the Party Formation Screen, see page 22. Multiplayer: For details on how to start a multiplayer game, refer to the Multiplayer section on page 25. Party Choice A new feature in Icewind Dale II is the ability for you to choose a party of adventurers that have already been put together for you. We have tried to create a number of interesting parties that offer different playing styles, but are also well balanced and should serve you well from your first quest to your last. These parties also start out fully equipped, so you will be ready to quash your first goblin right away. If you decide to either alter the makeup of one of the pre-made parties or create your own party from scratch by choosing to create a new party, there are a few things you should remember: 1) Make sure that you include a cleric in your party for healing. Icewind Dale II can be very challenging if you do not include a cleric. 2) If you are making a party that includes a lot of the special Forgotten Realms character races (dark elves, gray dwarves, etc.) which develop slower than the "normal" races, please remember that your party could be underpowered at certain points in the game. Things will be fine if you include a couple characters of these races, however a party of six deep gnomes could make playing the game very challenging. 3) You can choose to make a party of as many as six characters or as few as one. However, we suggest that you make a party of at least four characters. The game is balanced for a character group of four to six characters. 5 Character Generation If you've chosen to create some or all of your characters from scratch then you will want to read this section to help you with your decisions. Follow the steps below; at any point in the process you may press "Start Over," and you will start with a new character generation screen. Note: If Start Over is selected any work on that character will be lost! If you find that you don't like some of your choices and wish to change them simply press the "Back" button at the bottom of the screen. Gender Choose your character's sex, male or female. Your gender choice has no effect on anything other than your portrait selection and your character's model in the game. When you have chosen your gender, click on the `Next' button in the bottom right of the screen. (You'll need to select `Next' after every choice you make below.) There are male and female portraits for all races in the game. Portrait Selection Choose your character's portrait. If you want, you can import a customized picture of your character rather than use one of the ones provided. For information on how to customize your character's portrait, sounds, biography, and behavior, see the Character Record section on page 20. For more details on using your own custom portraits, please view the README file. Race Choose your character's race and/or sub-race, whether human, elf, half-elf, dwarf, gnome, halfling, or halforc. Depending on which race you choose, you may also get a menu with some of the new sub-races in Icewind Dale II. For example, if you choose "elf," you will get a menu that allows you to choose between moon elf, drow (dark elf), and wild elf. The strengths and weaknesses of each race and sub-race will be described in the text box at the right side of the screen. Your race may affect certain dialogue choices in the game as well as your character's favored class and your ability scores, so choose carefully. If you wish further details on each race, see "Races," on page 47. Class Choose the class you want from the list. The text box on the right side of the screen contains descriptions of each class. The following classes have other choices to make once you have chosen them. Clerics: After choosing the path of the cleric for your character, you will then need to choose which deity he or she will rely on for their faith driven powers. You will want to read a little bit about each of the deities to determine which is the right one for your character. Remember that the choice of deity does restrict the alignments that you can choose for your character, which may restrict the choice of classes your character can multiclass into for the future. Paladins and Monks: Both paladins and monks must choose an Order to which they belong. The choice of an Order helps define the faith of the paladin or monk and determines what multiclassing paths they may take in the game. Wizards: You may choose an area of specialty for your character from the menu of options that come up after deciding that he or she is going to be a Wizard. You may want to read each of them carefully before continuing. If you wish further details on each class, see "Classes," on page 50. 6 6 Alignment Alignment defines how your character acts, whether in a lawful or chaotic manner, with good or evil intentions - depending on your choice of class, you may not be able to choose certain alignments (paladins must be lawful good, for example). Each alignment has a caption describing it in detail. Read over each carefully before choosing. The choice of alignment will affect dialogue choices and can limit the types of classes that your character will be able to multiclass to later in the game. Ability Scores Six ability scores define your character: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha). They are listed on this screen with the values set at the minimums of your character's race. You will have 16 points to allocate across the six ability scores. The text box at the right of the screen describes each ability. Skills / Feats At this point in the character creation process you will need to pick the skills and feats that your character begins the game with. Please refer to the Skills and Feats sections on page 63 if you need more information concerning how skills and feats should be chosen for your characters and how they affect gameplay. Spells If your character is a wizard, sorcerer, cleric, or druid, you can choose a selection of first level spells to start the game with. Consult the Spells Section on page 75 if you want more details on the spells you're choosing. There is also an "Auto Pick" button you can use which will select Level 1 spells for you if you are an arcane spellcaster. The spells you get by pushing this button are a good, varied selection that should get you through most situations. Favored Enemy Rangers have a "favored enemy," a type of humanoid or creature they have dedicated their lives to hunting. When attacking this creature they get a special bonus to damage. Rangers can pick from the following creatures: Bugbears, Driders, Giants, Goblins, Harpies, Hook Horrors, Lizardmen, Ogres, Orcs, Salamanders, Shapeshifters, Trolls, Umber Hulks, Undead, Wyverns and Yuan-Ti. Rangers can choose one favored enemy to start, then they can pick a new one every five levels thereafter. Appearance Choose the colors that will appear on your character's model (some races and sub-races, such as Drow, have only a limited palette you can choose from). The colors of your skin, hair and clothing can be changed on the inventory screen over the course of the game. Biography This button allows you to type in your character's personal biography. You can choose to leave it blank. The biography can be accessed in the game from the "Customize" button in the Character Record screen. Name Last but not least, name your character. Either click on the box or start typing your name. When you're done, press "ENTER" on your keyboard, or click "Next." 7 Polishing Off Your Character If you're satisfied with the character, click the button marked `Finish' at the bottom of the screen. If not, just click on "Back" and backtrack through your choices and make ones you're happier with. Import This button allows you to import characters you have already created into a new multiplayer or singleplayer game. Starting Gold Every character starts with a nest egg, though the value varies according to the character's class. However, if you have chosen a pre-made party from the Party Choice screen then they will have already spent their money on the equipment they begin the game with. For characters that you create, the gold piece ranges include: Class Starting Gold Barbarians Bards Clerics Druids Fighters Monks Paladins Rangers Rogues Sorcerers Wizards 50gp-200gp 30gp-180gp 30gp-180gp 30gp-180gp 50gp-200gp 30gp-180gp 50gp-200gp 50gp-200gp 20gp-120gp 20gp-50gp 20gp-50gp 8 8 THE INTERFACE This section describes all the functions of the windows, buttons, and menus in the Icewind Dale II interface. While many of the features are self-evident when you play, you may want to look over this section for some of the finer points of the interface to make exploring Icewind Dale a little easier. Mouse Buttons The following section describes the actions you can perform with the mouse, with left-clicking or right-clicking. Note that most menus in the game (which have scrolling capabilities) support a mouse wheel. By placing the cursor over the menu and scrolling with the mouse wheel, the menu will scroll. Left-Click Left-clicking ("L-clicking") the mouse is the equivalent of an "action" button. It can perform the following functions: · Selects a character or a portrait (if a character or group was selected before, this character or group is unselected and the new character is selected instead). · If the SHIFT key is held down while L-clicking on various characters on the field or on the portraits, multiple characters are selected. · If the CONTROL key is held down while L-clicking on unselected characters, the characters will be added to the current character selection. · Double-clicking on a portrait centers the view on that character. · Selects action - selects action for the character: guard, talk, attack (click on weapon), etc. · Casts spells and uses items once they have been selected. · On terrain, walks selected character(s) to targeted location (note: use R-click to move in formation mode). · L-click and drag on terrain - selects multiple characters (creates draggable selection box). · Picks up items with current selected character(s). If more than one character is selected, the left-most portrait (the "leader") walks over to and picks up the item. · L-click and drag on a portrait-moves that portrait in the group order - inserts into space between characters you move portrait to. · On the clock pauses and unpauses the game. · Selects a customizable function to map in the main game interface from the customization menu. Rightclick on a button to access this menu. · Holding down the SHIFT key while L-clicking on spell icon from a good or neutral cleric's repertoire causes a healing spell of the same level to be cast in its stead. · Holding down the SHIFT key while L-clicking on spell icon from an evil cleric's repertoire causes an inflict spell of the same level to be cast in its stead. Right-Click Right-clicking ("R-clicking") the mouse has a variety of functions, usually related to information, canceling actions, customization and formation control. Right-clicking performs the following functions: · On a portrait brings up that character's Inventory Screen. · On an item or spell in the inventory or spell page brings up the appropriate Item or Spell information screen. · Cancels current actions - either attacks or spell casting. · On a monster or non-player character (NPC) or after clicking on a selected character plays selection sound for that character or monster. · On terrain - selected character walks there in formation mode (R-click and hold, and drag, rotates the formation if more than one character is selected). 9 · On Quick Weapons, Quick Spells, Quick Items, and Group Formations slots allows for the configuration of the slot type. After R-clicking, the current options for that quick slot will appear. You can select one for the slot by L-clicking on it, or R-clicking to go deeper if applicable. · On any of the main game interface buttons, except the first three, brings up the customization menu. · Holding down the SHIFT key while R-clicking on game screen allows waypoints to be set for your characters to walk between. This makes navigating terrain much easier. Mouse Movement The main game area will scroll up, down, left or right if you move the mouse to the edge of the screen, either in windowed or full screen mode. This also occurs if you use the number pad arrow keys. THE MAIN INTERFACE Main Game Area You'll be seeing this screen the most while playing Icewind Dale II. The mouse clicks and other buttons do the following on this screen: · L-click selects characters; also, a SHIFT and L-click or CTRL and L-click combination will select or select/deselect multiple characters; also, a click and drag on the main game area causes a box to be drawn and any character inside will be selected (this may be used with the Shift key to add the selected characters, or Ctrl, to remove characters). · L-click gives commands (see buttons, below) to the selected character(s). · R-click cancels an action and also does formation rotation and movement when a group is selected. (R-click and hold to rotate a formation.) · Note that the cursor changes when moved over objects or characters or NPCs to indicate the default action. The default action mode can be changed by L-clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the screen. 10 10 Screen Resolution The standard resolution that Icewind Dale II allows you to play in is 800 x 600. If you would rather play at a higher resolution, you can modify it in the Config program. The Config program can be reached via the shortcut in the Start Menu. Note that even though you may run the game at 1024 x 768, 1600 x 1200, or 2048 x 1536 resolution, Icewind Dale II officially supports only 800 x 600 resolution. Drop Away Interface Certain hot keys will allow you to drop away interface panels on the main screen. By default, pressing the Y key will make the character and action button panel on the main screen drop away, while pressing the H key will make the entire interface drop away. Pressing any of the keys a second time will bring up the panels again. Note that pausing the game while the interface is hidden will bring up all of the panels on the interface. Unpausing the game will hide the panels again if any were hidden before the pause. Action Cursors Action cursors pop up when you can perform certain actions. If a given cursor is selected it may be changed by clicking on a different action button, by hitting "ESC," or by L-clicking an area where the cursor has no effect (e.g. a non-object or the interface border). Casting spells is cancelled by a R-click, or finished by a Lclick on a creature or area (depending on the type of spell). Select: You can select the character. Unlock: Use skills to unlock a locked object. Disable Device: You can try to remove this device from the highlighted area. Pickpocket: Your rogue can attempt to steal from the selected character. Spell: You are going to cast a spell at a selected target. Info: You can left-click on this area to receive information text about it. Rotate Formation: You can rotate the party's formation. Change Order: You can swap two characters' positions. Use Item: You can use the highlighted object (lever, switch, etc.) Move: You can walk on this point, if you can reach it (there may be a door or other obstacle in the way). Blocked Location: You cannot walk to or target this point. Travel: If you move here, you will leave the area. Doors: Opens or closes the highlighted object. Enter: Walk through the entry or hallway. Stairs: Go up/down staircases. Pick up Item: Pick up an item. Attack: Attack a target creature you click on. 11 Action and the Fog of War Most actions cannot be performed in areas that you cannot see. Every character can see a certain distance away from them, and anything beyond that is called the "fog of war" (i.e., the area is `blacked-out' or grayshaded). This means your characters cannot see around a building until they move to the corner, and that they cannot see through walls. Bottom Menu Buttons Unlike the other interface menu buttons, the bottom menu buttons are not static. They change dynamically depending on the currently selected character and if more than one character is selected. These buttons use the Function keys as default shortcut keys. The left-most button is always "F1," the next is "F2" and so on regardless of which sub-menu is being displayed. The buttons on the bottom menu break down as follows: Action Buttons (F1-F5 hotkey) Customizing the Interface: All of the buttons on the main game interface, except for the first three (Guard and Weapon Combos) can be customized to your liking. By right-clicking on an icon, you bring up the customization menu. If you left-click on one of the buttons shown in this menu, it will place the selected icon on the main game interface. Subsequently, if you right-click again on one of the icons in the customization menu, you will bring up the specific icons for the abilities/spells under that icon. For example, if you right-click on the special abilities button, then right click on the feats button, you will see icons for all of your modal feats (feats that can be turned on and off). Left-clicking on one of these icons will map that icon in the main game interface and replace the special abilities button. To reset a specific button to its To reset all of the interface buttons to their default, left-click the default settings, left-click Clear button Restore Default button The left-most buttons do the following: Guard/Protect (F1): Protects either an area or another character. If this mode is selected, the desired ground area is L-clicked, and then the cursor is dragged, a circle will appear; this represents the area that will be guarded. The character will move freely within this area but will not leave it. He will respond to attacks but will not leave the guarded area until moved somewhere else or if told to guard/protect another area. If a character is selected to be protected, the character will be followed and any creatures attacking the character will be attacked. If the Guard/Protect mode is chosen but the cursor is not L-clicked and dragged, the character will remain stationary and will not move, though he will respond to attacks. Weapon Combo (F2,F3): These slots correspond to the weapon combo slots on the Inventory page. Load a weapon into these slots (R-click to choose that weapon) and it will appear in the relevant slots here. Use Skills (F4): Pulls up the menu of skills available to the character. Cast Spells (F5): Available to bards, clerics, druids, paladins, rangers, sorcerers, and wizards. It pulls up the memorized spell list of the caster, allowing you to cast a spell from this list. 12 12 3 Character Buttons (F6-F8 hotkeys) The three middle buttons, by default, break down according to class. You can customize by R-clicking one of the slots and selecting any Spell, Skill, Item, or Special Ability then L-click to make your choice. Search: Characters will continue to look for traps and secret doors while it is active. If an action other than movement is selected for that character, this mode ends. Thieving: This includes pick pockets, open locks, and disable device, depending on the target chosen. The monk can also use this button, but only to disable device. Hide/Move Silently: Characters can choose this mode, and if successful they become almost invisible. Quick Spells: These are configured by R-clicking on the Quick Spell slot - this brings up a list of all currently memorized spells. Once configured, the spell is ready for use at the push of the appropriate button or by L-clicking on that slot. Bard Song: This is usable by bards - the bard character will begin playing a song, which continues until any action other than movement is selected. Depending on the song you select, there are different effects both on your party and your enemies. 3 Item Buttons (F9-11) Use Item: If L-clicked, allows you to use any item with usable properties that you are wearing or wielding. Quick Item (x3): You may ready any item in the personal inventory for quick use by R-clicking on any of these three slots and selecting from all items held personally to configure that slot (much as per Use Item). This is analogous to the usage of quick spells. If an item is used up, dropped, or traded it must be removed from the quick item slot(s). If using an item causes a spell to be cast which must be used on a character or monster or terrain, the cursor will change accordingly and you must L-click on the target to use the item. R-clicking will cancel use. Weapons with magical powers can have their magic powers configured in the quick items slots, but not the quick weapons slots (only weapons with physical attacks go into the quick weapon slots). You may also customize the Quick Item slots to use any Spell, Skill, or Special Ability. Special Abilities Button (F12) Some classes and races have special abilities. Clicking on this button brings up a character's special abilities. For more details on Special Abilities, see "Special Abilities," page 56. 13 Group Menu Buttons When more than one character is selected, you get a new set of buttons along the bottom of the screen: Guard/Protect and Attack are analogous to the buttons for a single selected character. Stop: Stops all current party actions. Quick Formation buttons: Formations form in the same order as left to right on the character portraits bar (left character is #1 in formation, and down the list). If less than six characters are selected, they will form up to the number of characters selected, filling in the first, second, third, etc. formation slots until done. Formation movement is accomplished by R-clicking and holding (for rotation of the formation), or L-clicking, both only when a group is selected. Quick formations work analogously to quick spells, quick weapons, or quick items. They allow for real-time tactical combat: pull your wizard into the middle of your party, or advance your fighters to the front quickly by using the formations. The quick formation slots are configured via a R-click which brings up all available formations; L-click selects one as the formation for that quick formation slot. L-click subsequently on that button selects the current party formation. Movement into formations is then achieved by L-clicking the terrain in the game, or by R-clicking and holding, to rotate the formation. Character Buttons On the right side of the menu are the following buttons: Character Portraits: The character portraits select that character if L-clicked upon; if R-clicked, they bring up the inventory page for that character. Character Health Status: The bar below the character portrait shows how much of your character's current health remains. When the bar is empty, your character dies. Character Portrait Status: Character portraits display status icons (if your character is Charmed, Held, etc.) as well as the level up icon if one of your characters has enough experience to advance to the next level. Character Portrait Order: To change the order of characters in your party, drag and drop their character portraits to exchange them in the party order. For example, to switch the order of "Char1" and "Char2" left-click on Char1, hold down the mouse button, then move the cursor over Char2. Release the mouse button and Char1 and Char2 will switch places. 14 14 Interface Menu Buttons The buttons located in the circle towards the lower right side of the screen give you direct access to the various interface screens in the game. The buttons are as follows: Character Record Map Spell List Journal Inventory Options Party Formation/Character Arbitration Each of these buttons takes you directly to the interface screen for the character selected. If the entire party is selected, the appropriate screen for the party leader will come up. Globe This picture represents the passage of time in the game. L-clicking on this button has the same effect as pressing the space bar - it will pause and unpause the game. Select All: Selects or unselects all six characters. AI on/off: Turns a character's (or group of character's) AI on or off. Characters with AI turned off will not react to their environment unless manually controlled and will not move or otherwise do anything unless dictated by their unmodifiable section of script (the portion that players are unable to change, representing the personality of that character). Rest: When you select the Rest button on the world screen, your entire party will rest until everyone is at full health. When you select the Rest button on any other screen, you will be presented with three options: normal Rest (8 hours), Rest Until Healed (rest until everyone is at full health), and Cancel. When you select Rest or Rest Until Healed and confirm, time will pass in the game, and your characters will heal and regain their spells. Keep in mind that resting is normally allowed only in inns, outdoor areas (provided all the monsters in the vicinity or on the map have been slain), or with permission from a local resident. ADVENTURER'S TIP: It is possible that you will be attacked while resting in certain areas if a group of wandering monsters chances upon your party. Tool Tips "Tool Tips" are the small information windows that pop up whenever you leave your mouse cursor over any object in the game for a period of time (including buttons, characters, items, signs, and so on). The time it takes the tool tip to pop up is set in the options; to bring up the Tool Tips instantly, press the "Tab" button. 15 Dialogue Window You'll be speaking to a number of people in Icewind Dale II over the course of the game. To initiate dialogue, simply select the person you want to speak to. You cannot speak to anyone with a red circle (the red circle means they're hostile and don't want to talk to you). Dialogue occurs with the selected character only; changing the character having the dialogue is not possible until dialogue is exited and restarted with a new character selected. If multiple characters are selected, the leftmost selected character (in the portraits near the bottom of the screen) is the one who initiates the dialogue. When you speak to someone, you will be presented with a list of numbered options for what to say in red. You can either L-click on what you want to say from the list, or hit the number of the response you want to choose. When more text scrolls up in the window than can be read at once, or when dialogue is paused to give you a chance to read the text, you can L-click "Continue" at the bottom of the dialogue window to view more text. The text that has been already read can be reviewed with the scroll arrows on the right (up or down). ADVENTURER'S TIP: Keep in mind that your options can vary depending on your character's statistics (Intelligence, Charisma), their class, race, and skills. If you're not having much luck with an NPC with one character, try speaking to him with another with a different race, a higher Intelligence or Charisma abilities, or different skills. During dialogue the character who is talking has his portrait highlighted and will flash in the main game area. The NPC being spoken to will also flash. ADVENTURER'S TIP: Keep in mind that there are points in the game where even a character who is hidden or invisible will still be seen and spoken to in order to allow the advancement of the plot. Stores, Inns, Taverns, and Temples All the stores in Icewind Dale II use a similar interface for the buying and selling of goods, information, and services. When you speak to the owner of a store, a panel will replace the bottom portion of the screen with buttons for the various services offered. These services include: Rent Rooms: Inns usually have four different types of rooms that the player can use to rest at night, ranging from peasant rooms to nobleman's lodgings. The more expensive the room, the more you'll heal while you rest. Buying and Selling: This screen is separated into a Buy window and a Sell window. Items the store offers are shown in the Buy window. Items from the character's inventory are shown in the Sell window. To buy an item, L-click on it in the Buy window. The item icon will become highlighted, but will not be purchased until you L-click "Buy" at the bottom of the window. You may select multiple items and the total for all selected items will be shown next to the "Buy" button. The Sell window works the same way, although the shopkeeper may not want to buy the items in your inventory (unwanted items are gray-shaded). Items unusable by the character are shaded red. The number of each item the proprietor has in stock of each item is listed in parentheses after each item (unlimited items have no number beside them), and if you wish, you may buy multiple versions of each item. To buy multiple versions of an item, double-click on the item in the store, which will bring up a menu that allows you to select how many of that item you would like to buy. Enter the number, and if you have enough gold, they're yours. 16 16 ADVENTURER'S TIP: Prices in stores can vary according to the Charisma of the buying or selling character as well as the "Mercantile Background" feat, and it can also vary based on how many items of a particular type the store already carries. (If Deirdre in the Targos Trade Depot already has fifty goblin battle axes, and you bring her another, then chances are, you won't get top dollar for it.) Drinks and Rumors: Bartenders and innkeepers are good for buying drinks and catching up on the local gossip. Items offered at a bar vary from expensive liquors to cheap ales. Upon ordering a drink, the proprietor may share rumors he has heard lately. Be careful, however, as your characters can become intoxicated if they drink too much - and the bartender won't hesitate to cut you off. Purchase Healing: Temples usually offer healing services for a price. A menu will appear showing the services offered and the price. Select the service you wish to receive and select the character who needs the healing. Identify: Shops and Temples can usually identify more items than your characters. If you cannot select the item from the list, then the proprietor cannot identify the item. Containers Certain items and containers can be picked up or opened; these are identified with a blue highlight when you move the cursor over them. L-click will allow you to open a container, and a new panel will appear at the bottom of the screen. The left side of the panel shows the items that are on the ground or in the container and the right side is a small portion of the selected character's inventory. Clicking on items on the left side of the panel moves the items from the ground or container into the character's inventory. If the character's inventory is full, the item will not be transferred. This process can be reversed. Items can be moved from a character's inventory into a container or onto the ground by L-clicking on them in the right side of this panel. Note that items added to a character's inventory will automatically stack with others of the same kind when possible. Furthermore, some items your party can carry can actually act as portable containers. For more information on these items, see "Gem Bags, Potion Bags, and Scroll Cases," on page 20. The container interface can be closed by clicking on the square in the upper right of the container interface of by L-clicking anywhere on the game map. Maps Area Map L-clicking the map button brings up the map the selected character(s) are on. Areas that have been visited are lit up, areas that haven't are dark. The character(s) current position(s) are shown on the map by green circles. World Map Clicking on the World button on the Area Map brings up the World Map. An icon above the appropriate map shows your characters' current location. Usually only the areas visited thus far on the world map will be shown. Note that you cannot travel between areas unless you either know about them or you have traveled to the edge of the current area and brought up the world map with the "Travel" icon. To move to another area, highlight the area and click on it. 17 ADVENTURER'S TIP: Your World Map will occasionally be updated through dialogue and events in Icewind Dale II, allowing you to access more areas. Journal The journal is a diary of your adventures. It'll automatically make notes of important people, plot points, quests and the completion of quests so you can refer to them later. If you're ever having trouble on a quest, refer to your journal. The journal entry for the quest may contain helpful information on where to go next or who to talk to. The contents of the game journal can be downloaded to a text file by hitting CTRL-S to download the current chapter or CTRL-A to download the entire journal while on the journal screen. This text file will appear in the \mpsave directory where Icewind Dale II was installed, in the folder of the last saved or last loaded save game. Inventory Screen 18 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Armor Class Hit Points (current/maximum) Model Weapon Combo Slots Quick Item Slots Character Name (7) Party Gold (8) Ammunition (9) Character Colors (10) Ground Slots (11) Personal Inventory (12) Encumbrance 18 The inventory page can be accessed by L-clicking the Inventory button on the bottom right of the screen or by R-clicking a Character Portrait. Items in your inventory may be shown with a red, blue, or yellow tint. (Ed. Note: Most are not shaded at all.) Red items are not usable by the characters holding the item. Blue-tinted items are magical but have not yet been identified. Items with a yellow tint are capable of being used by a character with the Use Magic Device skill (although there is a chance of failure when used, so beware). Items with a blue outline are magical items that have been identified. The middle of the screen is taken up by the "Model" representation of the character. Along the bottom of the screen is the character's personal inventory and encumbrance. Items can be dragged and dropped to be equipped on the Model, or dragged and dropped onto other characters' portraits to give the item to another character. Stackable items can be unstacked by double L-clicking on the item. Unstacked items can be stacked by dragging and dropping them on top of each other. Items placed in the "Ground" slots will be dropped at the character's feet and can be picked up from the main game interface. The party pool of gold is shown on this page as well. Encumbrance Each character can carry only a certain amount of weight, determined by their Strength. Exceeding this weight causes the character to move slower or stop completely depending on how overloaded they are. Equipped Items There are 20 distinct areas in the equipped items section: helm, armor, bracers, cloak, amulet, L ring, R ring, gauntlets, boots, up to 4 weapon combinations and the quiver (of up to 3 sets of ammunition). To dual-wield, place a weapon in the shield slot. Weapon Combo Slots You have four weapon combination slots available for your use. Each combo slot contains a primary hand button and a secondary hand button. These slots can contain a single weapon, a weapon and a shield, two weapons to use simultaneously or a ranged weapon. When you are in your inventory you can select one of these weapon combos by left-clicking the button to the left of the selected combo. You can also select them from the main game interface by right-clicking on the weapon combo buttons. Only one bow or crossbow may be equipped at a time. Both bolts and arrows may be in the quiver but only those usable by the current equipped weapon appear as quick attack choices on the main interface screen. Quick Item Slots These slots represent miscellaneous items that are kept at the ready (potions, for example). These items can be accessed easily during combat (similar to "Quick Weapons" above). Healing potions are great candidates for these slots. Personal Inventory This is your "backpack." You can carry only 24 different items or stacks of items, regardless of your encumbrance. Items Information Page If an item is R-clicked upon, the view changes to the Items Information page. This page contains the item's icon and description. Characters with a high "Knowledge (Arcana)" skill can automatically identify certain magical items. If the item is currently unidentified, there will be a button to allow you to try to magically identify it with a scroll or a spell. Potions may be drunk from this page. If the item is a scroll, wizards will have the opportunity 19