I wondered who had eaten the stale sandwiches Congrats.

Why did you need to leave the Raanaar doll behind? I didn't find mine until in the first part of Act 4!

At the moment, thanks to Kay's help, I have got myself up to Academy level 3. Found the BF5 key so am busy trying to find level 3 in BF4. Complicated? My life is always complicated Not really - good always ascends evil.

Meet up with you at the traders one day.

Time for bed, and am I pleased about that!

Luv and hugs.

Alice

I came straight to this page before I posted. Just read the rest of page 5 and, not for the first, time am beginning to wonder if I am playing the same game as the rest of you

I never did have the Raanaar doll until I found it in the locked summoning room.

Hi Alice,
You just made my day! I'm still sitting here laughing. Your playing the same game.

In Act 3 your were given a quest to restore a raanaar doll. You got that doll when you started Act 3.
This is another Raanaar Doll that you have found in Act 4. This one is yours to use.

Jean, you will get another Raanaar doll soon.
Kay

Hi, I just finished Ice Wind Dale and started Beyond Div. I had a few questions that I thought maybe all you experts could help me with. I'm still in Act I.

How does paying teachers help? I can't see how it helps me learn anything. Do I still need to spend points and get it that way. I keep checking the manual but it doesn't really explain it that well.

Also, it keeps saying I'm encumbered even though my weight limit seems to be below what I can carry. Am I reading it wrong?

I went to the battlefields and got some quests. Do I find the items for these quests back in the dungeon?

Thanks.

Hi Alice, Kay, and Tamia:

Alice, were the sandwiches stale? I guess I was so hungry I didn't notice. It's probably I good thing I ate since you said the monsters are even tougher in this act.

Kay, thanks for the tip on the Ranaar summoning doll. I'll be glad to get another one to do my dirty deeds for me.

Hi Tamia, and welcome to the world of BD. Yes, you do have to pay the teachers to get the skill, because skill books are few and far between. What happens is, you pay a teacher, or find a skill book, and then get the skill you want. BUT, you don't actually have the skill until you level up and get a skill point to use (at every 5th level you'll get 2). At that time you go into your skill screen and choose which one you want to put the point to. It's a bit confusing the first few times you do it.

You will get the notice you're encumbered even though it looks like you can carry more weight. I don't know why that is, but it happens. One of the things I do (and no one else here has done it that I've seen) is use the summoning dolls to carry things around for me.

If I remember right, most of the quests in Level I are in the Battlefields, but you will also have quests given to you in the dungeons to solve.

What are you playing as? Have fun!

Jean

Tamia, I may be wrong about the percentage, but I think it shows you encumbered at 70% of what you can carry. You can still walk with the weight, but it slows you down, and if you keep adding items you'll finally just stop cold.
The quests you get in the battlefields have to be solved in the battlefields.
The skill system was the only thing I did not like about this game, horribly confusing and clumsy. Paying the teachers just gives you the ability to have that skill, but it doesn't actually give you the skill. What it does is open that tree in the skill section, so you have more to select from when you apply your points that you receive upon leveling up. You buy the skill from a teacher, but it only goes up so high in level, and then you have to buy it again from a teacher to increase the level (say from a level three spell to a level five spell).

Thanks Nickie and JMK. I think I understand a little better. That skill thing is confusing but I think I'm starting to get it now. When you buy a skill tree choice, does it go for both of your people or just the one who bought it?

I will have to go back to that battlefield then, because I walked all over and and only found four or five people and a few items. Is the level 1 battlefield bigger than one screen? I just can't see where anything else could be.

And more question. The book didn't say that you are penalized for playing on easy level so does that mean you still get just as many experience points for killing a monster on easy as on hard?
Shesh! I feel like such a baby!

Aside from these questions, I'm having a lot of fun. I've been playing the D&D Black Isle games for so long, this is a nice change.

Tamia, Welcome to the BD gang.

A long time ago Rowan mentioned the characters can carry two thirds of their strength - this works out about right. Usually when one character gets encumbered I find that just by moving potions from one inventory to another will have them both unencumbered. At times just a potion weighing 2 or 3 points will do the trick.

Rownan also gave a tip about the battlefields which works for me. The dungeons are not in the traders area - you need to find a path to the right. But, for example, if you have found and cleared one or two dungeons then discover next time everything appears blacked out then bring your cursor to the right edge of the screen (but don't click on it) and it will roll sideways and clear the area you have already travelled. Does this make sense to you?

It is a bind having to actually part with gold before you can use your skill points, unfortunately that is part of the game. One tip here. The traders are expensive. I have found that most Imps sell higher level skills at much lower prices. In any conversation I always ask an imp what he can teach me.

Also near the end of an Act I buy everything I want before levelling up - it is all much more expensive in the next Act.

I like the game and am enjoying it though not as much as Divine Divinity.

Have fun.

Luv,

Alice.

Tamia, it's a bit confusing at first, but you're a veteran of much harder games, so no doubt you will pick up on this quickly.
Yes, when you purchase the learning, it can apply to either or both characters to use when you have the skill points.
What Threads mentioned about the scrolling in the battlefields would be a help for sure, but it did not work on my computer. One thing that helped me though was flagging the dungeons when I came across them, as depending on which keys you have found to unlock them, they will either be available to you or locked, and the flags were easy to see, even on the black map.

I'm in the first BF in Act IV. These guys are tough!

Jean

Ok, thanks for the tips. Here I go back to see what I can do now!

Jean,
Sorry to say-you don't get them back
made me <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> all that walking back and forth. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

You all are doing great!
have fun, this act is so short, I made it last as long as I could

Ingie

Oh dear, I thought I was home and dry

All prepared to open the last rift which is marked THE END on the map - and it wouldn't.

Gave it some thought. Looked back at the maps I'd been using and realised I didn't complete the graves thingie.

Am now back in the graves and dashed if I can work out how to open those five graves with the chains. HELP.

So near and yet so far. Oh gosh.

Must mention I found another BF key in a golden chest. As I had BF5 thought this must be BF6 - guess what - it was a second BF5.

Gave YOU KNOW WHO a good thrashing for killing the imps and that dear friendly old spider who wanted to build something to leave to his grandchildren. The urge to do that was a great incentive to keep right on to the end of the road.

Now - I need a lesson about pulling chains (not the usual ones ) Who can help, please? The end of the road is in sight and have a special reason for wishing to complete B.D before the 15th.

See you later.

Luv,

Alice

Boy Alice,
I'm really getting bad. What graves and what chains? My mind is a complete blank.
Where are you at?

Why be done by 15th? Is that when you finally have your eye surgery? Let us know-prayers going up

Ingie

Hi Ingie - there is a map for GRAVE in Act 4.

One needs to demolish walls to get to 5 graves at the back and, so I presume, the only way to open those graves is to maniplulate the chains.

Actually had an idea when I came to life again at two hours back (5.30am) so was checking here to discover if I was going to do the right thing. Am off to try that now.

You hit the nail on the head as to the reason I want to finish soon. The actual op is between 9am and noon on the 16th - our time. Would appreciate your prayers.

Luv,

Alice

Hi again Ingie.

Solved the previous problem - don't asked me how 'cos have no idea what I did - it just happened

But now am really stuck. Am ready to open the last rift in Act 4. Components in place and can't for the life of me trigger the ghostie voice to ask what I want to do.

Please, if you can remember, tell me what I'm doing wrong. Kay, if you are around can you help? So near but so far

Off now - have to attend to real life.

Luv.

Alice

Hi Alice,
We had a storm come through yesterday and knocked the power out. Haven't had any power for almost 18 hours. Just got it back on. No power means no computer.

Go to the room in the south, Anlahar is on the floor injured but not dead, click on him and he will talk to you. I think this is where you are at in the game. You are almost finished with the game. Good luck!
Kay

Kay - sorry to hear about the power cut - always inconvenient

No, Kay, I've done all that. Am now trying to open the rift to earth. Doing exactly what I did when I passed the test but cannot trigger the dummy to ask if I want to open the rift - and it certainly wont open any other way.

Hope you are around - I'm sitting here biting my nails!

Alice

Alice, I just clicked on the Wand again and the rift opened. Did you talk to the instructor and close the last rift? That is all I can think of that might be the problem.
Kay

Kay, thanks for coming in.

Yes I did talk to the instructor and closed the last rift.

I placed the wand on the only place where it could be placed but when I click on it Karen picks it up into the inventory again

I'll go back and try again.

Be seeing you.

Alice.

Alice, Leave it in the inventory and click on it.
Kay

hay all im playing Beyond Divinity now nad wondered were do you find the key for the door in the game were tex the imp is

Hi al ace,
The key will pop up as you explore around, a lot of items in this game will be discovered later.
Just use your little blue flag to mark where,who and what..well, maybe your memory is better than mine

Ingie

Hi Ingie, hope you are still around. And perhaps Kay is as well.

I went back to where I had downed the big demon and carried on again from there. Now I know I have done everything in turn from that point but opening the last rift to the end is beyond me. It is probably something staring me in the face but dashed if I can see it.

Kay, I have just clicked on the wand in the inventory and Dummy, in his Irish accent (!) tells me I have no use for the wand at this time.

What AM I doing wrong?

Sorry Al Ace - should have said Hi to you before I spilled out my troubles - nice to meet you. Good gaming.

Luv to all

Alice - still in Wonderland.

Hi Alice,
I went back and played that part again to see exactly what I did. Do you have the Book of Coordinates in inventory? If you don't, go back and click on Anlahar again, he is on the floor and he will give you the book of coordinates. DK says now you can open the rift.
Hope this is what you are missing.
Good Luck!
Kay