Games Microsoft XBOX BALDUR S GATE-DARK ALLIANCE User Manual

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BAlDUR’s GATe

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 2
GETTING STARTED 4
CONTROLLER LAYOUT 5
WELCOME TO THE REALMS 6
HOW TO START THE GAME/MAIN MENU DESCRIPTION 7
HEROES OF BALDUR'S GATE 8
OPTIONS MENU 9
CONTROLLING YOUR CHARACTER 11
CHARACTER STATISTICS SCREEN 17
COMBAT 22
SHOPKEEPERS 24
SPELLS AND FEATS 26
MONSTERS 33
CREDITS 36

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CONTROLLER LAYOUT

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GETTING STARTED

USING THE XBOX VIDEO GAME SYSTEM

1. Set up your Xbox video game system by following the instructions
in the Xbox Instruction Manual.

2. Press the power button and the status indicator light will light up.

3. Press the eject button and the disc tray will open.

4. Place the Baldur's Gate™ : Dark Alliance™ disc on the disc tray
with the label facing up and close the disc tray.

5. Follow on-screen instructions and refer to this manual for more
information about playing Baldur's Gate : Dark Alliance.

AVOIDING DAMAGE TO DISCS OR
THE DISC DRIVE

To avoid damage to discs or the disc drive:

• Insert only Xbox-compatible discs into the disc drive.

• Never use oddly shaped discs, such as star-shaped or heart-shaped discs.

• Do not leave a disc in the Xbox console for extended periods when

not in use.

• Do not move the Xbox console while the power is on and a disc is

inserted.

• Do not apply labels, stickers, or other foreign objects to discs.

USING THE XBOX CONTROLLER

1. Connect the Xbox Controller to any controller port on the front of
the Xbox console. For multiple players, connect additional
controllers to available controller ports.

2. Insert any expansion devices (for example, Xbox Memory Units)
into controller expansion slots as appropriate.

3. Follow on-screen instructions and refer to this manual for more
information about using the Xbox Controller to play Baldur's Gate:
Dark Alliance.

White button

Automap toggle

Left trigger

Drink Rejuvenation Potion

Directional pad
Up/Down:

Toggle Spells and Feats List Up/Down

Left/Right:

Toggle between melee and missile
weapons

BACK button

Inventory/Level Up

START button

Pause

Left thumbstick

Moves character in proper direction

Black button

Block/Parry

Right trigger

Drink Health Potion

A button

Attack

B button

Use Feat or Cast Spell

Y button

Jump

X button

Use/Pick up

Right thumbstick

Rotate Camera

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Eldrith gathered all of the Bladed Crescent who remained, all who had
sworn to serve her, and she ordered her broken company to attack the
walls of her city... she swore she would take it from the Dukes and put
them to the sword. It would be justice, she said.

Eldrith’s attack was like the charge of a maddened animal. It was
suicide.

The Bladed Crescent were slain almost to the man, and they were
driven from the city, hounded by the remaining troops of Baldur’s Gate.
They pursued Eldrith for leagues, all the way to the Marsh of
Chelimber. As the last of her soldiers floundered and died within the
marsh, the soldiers closed upon her. She was no longer recognizable —
blood caked her armor, her helmet, barely able to put one foot in front
of the other —she was dying, but even in death, she still struggled
onwards, fueled by her vengeance.

Fearing her skills with the sword, the soldiers band did not approach
within arm's reach of her —instead, they felled her from a distance
with crossbow bolts. It was a cowardly execution, one without honor.

As Eldrith fell, she cursed Baldur's Gate and all within it. And with her
death, the Dark Alliance was born.

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INTRODUCTION

Have you not heard of Eldrith the Betrayer, the Traitress of Swords,
Eldrith of the Westering Sun? That she has been forgotten is an...
irony of a sort.

Eldrith was one of the greatest generals of the Sword Coast,
commander of the Company of the Bladed Crescent, sworn sword
and defender of Baldur’s Gate. She served with honor and distinction
in the first and last seasons of the Sundering War, the Stillwater Port
siege, and finally, the campaign against the Black Horde. In all these
battles, she was victorious.

I do not know when pride burrowed into her heart, but it poisoned her.
Eldrith had fought too many battles, achieved too many victories, and
she had come to see the city of Baldur’s Gate as her own.

On the day of the Great Betrayal, Eldrith's company took the field
against the Black Horde and scattered them, even though the orcs and
goblins outnumbered her troops five to one. Still, in the rout, almost
half their forces survived and fled the field. Eldrith was determined to
pursue them. The Dukes of Baldur’s Gate refused. Too many good
soldiers had been lost, the Dukes told her. They— and the people—
wanted no more of blood and death, and they felt the Horde would
not return.

Eldrith was furious. Even though she had lost many men, she felt it
was better to deal a deathblow to the Horde and insure they never
threatened Baldur’s Gate again. And so she defied the Dukes, and led
her soldiers to their deaths.

Far from Baldur's Gate, she cornered the Horde in a narrow defile, but
once their retreat was denied to them, they proved more vicious than
we had anticipated. Eldrith, fearing of losing the field, sent a
messenger back to Baldur’s Gate for reinforcements before the Horde
broke free of her trap. The reinforcements never came, and the Horde
overran Eldrith's weakened troops. Eldrith survived... but many of the
Company of the Bladed Crescent did not.

Eldrith became a creature consumed by fury. Wounded, she returned
to Baldur’s Gate to demand an audience with the Dukes. Instead, she
was met at the gates and told that for her disobedience upon the
battlefield, the walls of Baldur’s Gate would be forever closed to her
and the Bladed Crescent.

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HOW TO START THE GAME/
MAIN MENU DESCRIPTION

The opening movies can be skipped by pressing the START button or
the A button on the controller.

MAIN MENU

On the opening menu, you will be presented with four options:
Start New Game: Select this option when you are ready to begin

playing. When selected, you will be asked to choose either a one­player or two-player game; if you are interested in transferring a
character from another game into your game, jump ahead to
“Transferring Characters from Other Games,”p. 9.

Once you have selected a new game, you have an option to select the
game difficulty: Easy, Normal, or Hard. Play on Easy if you're just
getting your bearings; Hard if you're looking for a challenging
experience.

After selecting the difficulty level, you (and the second player if you
are playing with someone else) will be taken to the Character Selection
screen. Use the directional pad to cycle through your three choices:
the Human Archer, the Dwarven Fighter, and the Elven Sorceress. A
small icon will appear above each character as you cycle through the
choices.

The advantages and disadvantages of each choice are listed under
“Heroes,”on p. 8.

Load Saved Game: This option will allow you to load a previously
saved Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance game from your hard disk.

Options: Select this option if you want to customize your controller’s
configuration, adjust sound options, and other game options.

Credits: Selecting this option will allow you to see the creators and
contributors to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.

Press the A button to select an option, and the B button to go back.

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WELCOME TO THE REALMS

If this is your first foray into the fantastic world of the F

ORGOTTEN

REALMS®campaign setting, then welcome. Black Isle Studios and
Snowblind Studios are pleased to bring you Baldur’s Gate: Dark
Alliance, the first Dungeons & Dragons

®

game to appear on the
Xbox™ video game system. The challenges in the game are great, but
so are the rewards, and many hours of challenging gameplay await you
and your friends.

If you have played any of the Baldur’s Gate games for the PC (Baldur’s
Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast

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, Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn™,

and Throne of Bhaal

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), then you are no stranger to the FORGOTTEN
REALMS. Black Isle Studios and Snowblind Studios bring you another
title set in the F

ORGOTTEN REALMS, a console role-playing experience

you may undertake either alone or with a friend. Baldur’s Gate: Dark
Alliance is an epic that puts the fate of the F

ORGOTTEN

REALMS in your
hands – countless lives depend on you, and it’ll only be through your
blood and perseverance that Baldur’s Gate... and all the Realms... may
be saved.

Welcome to Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance.

BALDUR’S GATE

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance takes place in the world of Abeir-Toril
(The phrase “Abeir-Toril” means “cradle of life” — the world is most
often known by its shortened name, “Toril”). Your exploits in Dark
Alliance will be centered in Baldur’s Gate, a port city upon the winding
Chionthar River.

Baldur’s Gate is a city recently plagued by a growing evil. Members of
the city watch have been found dead, townsfolk are afraid to leave
their homes, and unsettling rumors of a thieves’guild civil war beneath
the streets runs rampant through the taverns of the city.

Your arrival has placed you in the middle of this cauldron of danger.
A young hero, fresh to Baldur’s Gate and fresh to the world of
adventuring, you’re carrying little else except a blade and a small purse
of coins. You’ve come to the city to seek your fortune.

That is, if the danger that threatens Baldur’s Gate doesn’t claim
you first...

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specialized metamagic feats and spells available to her as she advances
in level. Unlike the Dwarven Fighter or the Arcane Archer, however,
the Sorceress cannot use weapons that require more than one hand,
such as two-handed swords and two-handed axes.

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance also supports cooperative play, so you and
a friend may choose different characters.

TRANSFERRING CHARACTERS FROM
OTHER GAMES

If you have a pre-existing character from another Baldur’s Gate: Dark
Alliance game, you don’t need to start a game over with a new
character. You can simply import your current character from another
game. This can be done by either loading your character file from the
hard disk, or, provided you have one an Xbox memory unit. To do this,
you'll need to select “Export Players”from the In-Game Pause Menu,
described on p. 13.

OPTIONS MENU

Move up and down the Options menu by pressing up and down on the
directional pad.

Music

When highlighted, you can press left and right on the directional pad
to adjust the music volume in the game.

SFX

When highlighted, you can press left and right on the directional pad
to adjust the sound effects volume in the game.

Vibration

Certain events within the game will cause the controller to vibrate.
This can be switched on or off, depending on your preference.

Controls

This selection takes you to the Controller Configuration screen, where
you can choose a configuration that best suits your style of game play.

Stereo

This option allows you to choose whether you want stereo sound or
monaural (for single speaker televisions).

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HEROES OF BALDUR'S GATE

Before you can begin playing Baldur’s Gate:
Dark Alliance, you’ll need to choose which
character you want to play. You’ll be able to
choose from three characters: Vahn, the
Arcane Archer, Kromlech, the Dwarven
Fighter, and Adrianna, the Elven Sorceress.

Vahn, the Arcane Archer

Arcane Archers are archers known for their
supernatural accuracy with a bow and the
ability to imbue their arrows with magic. A
fusion of skill and innate magical ability has
turned them into fearsome and respected
warriors. A good character for taking down
opponents from a distance, the Arcane Archer
employs a number of magical powers related to
his archery skills, including the ability to
enchant arrows with magical accuracy, create
fire arrows, exploding arrows, and even fire off
several arrows at once.

Kromlech, the Dwarven Fighter

The youngest of the Bruenghor Clan in the
Sunset Mountains, this gruff and opinionated
dwarf is a fearsome warrior – tough, strong,
and devastating in combat when wielding
melee weapons. A good character for hand-to­hand combat and sheer toughness, the dwarf
also has access to a number of specialized
fighting feats unavailable to the Arcane Archer
and the Sorceress.

Adrianna, the Elven Sorceress

A strikingly beautiful female elf with exotic
features, the elven sorceress can create magic
the way a poet creates poems, by drawing on
the raw power within themselves... and
unleashing it with devastating effects. The
sorceress has the ability to cast spells, an ability
unavailable to the Dwarven Fighter or the
Arcane Archer, and she has a number of

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CONTROLLING YOUR CHARACTER

Once in the game world, you’ll need to know the basics of moving
around, attacking, jumping, and casting spells. Provided here is a list of
all the actions your character can perform using the controller:

Moving Around: To move around, move the left thumbstick in the

direction you want your character to walk.

Attacking:To attack a creature with a bow or melee weapon, press the A

button. You cannot attack in towns or other “safe” areas in the game.

Aiming: When you are holding a bow, you can lightly hold down the

A button and you can rotate while standing in place. This allows you
to aim your bow before firing it, and it is useful when combined with
the Targeting Feat (see Spells and Feats, p. 26). To fire the arrow after
aiming, simply push harder on the A button, and the arrow will fire.
Aiming does not allow you to automatically hit an opponent, but it can
make your life much easier.

Jumping: During your travels, your character may need to jump over

certain obstacles in their path. To do this, press the Y button.

Using Spells and Feats: Spells and feats are special abilities your

character will have access to over the course of the game. Some feats
are passive (they are always on) and other spells and feats are active
(they need to be “activated”in order to work). To activate a spell or
feat, press the B button, and your character will use your currently
selected spell or feat (for information on how to change your currently­armed feat, see “Selecting Spells and Feats,” below). You cannot use
spells and feats in towns or other “safe”areas in the game, and some
spells and feats require that you have a certain amount of arcane
energy in order to use them (see more about Arcane Energy, p. 16).

Action: The X button allows you to perform almost any other action

other than jumping, casting spells, or attacking. Use this button to
speak to people in the game, open doors, chests, pull levers, pick up
items on the floor, or save your game at save pedestals.

Selecting Spells and Feats: Your character is likely to gain multiple

spells and feats over the course of the game, and you’ll need to choose
different ones for different situations. To change your currently­selected feats or spells, press up or down on the directional pad to
scroll through your list of feats and spells. (This “L”-shaped list will
appear in the lower left hand corner of the main game screen.)

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Dialog Text

When this is off, you will not see the text spoken by characters you
speak to in the game (although you will see your own responses).
When Dialog Text is on, a character's speech will be displayed at the
bottom of the screen as they are speaking.

Damage Text

When this is on, you will see the number of hit points of damage you
cause stream off a target when you hit (the number is colored yellow
when you score a critical hit). Damage Text defaults to off.

LOADING AND SAVING

To save, you’ll need to find a safe spot in the game to record your
progress. These save points are indicated on the maps by pedestals
with books on them:

When you reach one of these points, you can save your game by
pressing the action button (X by default).

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MAIN GAME SCREEN

There are three main bars on the upper left corner of the main game
screen. These bars represent your hit points, the amount of experience
points to reach the next level, and the amount of arcane energy your
character currently possesses.

Hit Points Bar: Hit points (HP) are a measure of how many points of

damage your character can take before dying. When a character
reaches 0 hit points, they are dead. Hit points for your character are
represented by the red bar on the upper left corner of the main
game screen.

Hit points can be healed via healing potions, and they will also
regenerate over time. A high Constitution (see Character Abilities,
p. 20) allows you to regenerate hit points faster than normal.

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New: This option will replace the selected player slot with a new
character of your choice. In a two player game you cannot choose
the character of the other player present. This option is only
available if there are controllers in both controller ports.

Import: This will lead you to several prompts for finding and
retrieving a character from a previously saved game. Note that you
may transfer a character from a two player save game, provided
that the character is not currently being used by the other player.

Accept: If you have made any changes, then the level will re-load
with the new player selections present.

Delete: This function allows you to delete one of the players. This
function is present only when two players are present.

The import option will bring up the save game browser and prompt
you to select a save game. Once selected, the contents of the save
game are displayed, giving information on the players present,
including their experience, level, health, and gold. The player can
back up to the browser if a different save game is desired.

Once you have imported/deleted/changed the player line up, select
the “Accept” function and the game will re-load the level and reflect
the changes. If no changes have been made, “Accept” returns you
immediately to the game.

Exit to Menu

This option takes you back to the Dark Alliance main menu, allowing
you to start a brand new game or load a previous save game.

Character Statistics Screen: To view your character’s statistics,

items, gold, and other information, press the BACK button. This will
take you to the Character Statistics Screen described on p. 17.

1. Hit Points Bar

2. Experience Bar

3. Arcane Energy Bar

4. Level Up Icon

5. Spells and Feats Menu

6. Automap

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5

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CHARACTER STATISTICS SCREEN

When you press the BACK button while playing, you’ll be taken to the
Character Statistics Screen. This screen contains the following
information:

Carrying Capacity: This lists the percentage of the character’s total

carrying capacity that is currently being used. The number on the left
is your current weight in pounds, the number on the right is your total
carrying weight. You cannot carry more than your total carrying
capacity... you must either drop or sell something first in order to make
room for new items.

Gold Piece Total: This is the total number of gold pieces your

character has.

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Experience Bar: The green bar represents how many experience

points you need to reach the next level of experience. T his bar will fill
up the closer you are to the next level. When you have
enough experience points, the level up icon will appear:

This alerts you that you are ready to advance to the next
level. Press the BACK button to level up.

Arcane Energy Bar: Arcane Energy is a measure of how much energy

a character has to cast spells and perform some arcane energy­dependent feats. When a character has 0 points of arcane energy, they
will be unable to cast spells or use any feats that require this energy.

Arcane energy can be recovered via rejuvenation potions, and the
energy will also regenerate over time. A high Intelligence allows you to
recover arcane energy faster than normal.

There may be instances where certain icons appear beneath your
health and arcane energy bars:

No Rotation: This icon looks like an eyeball with a slash

through it. It appears if you try to rotate the camera on a level
that doesn't allow it, or if you are at the edge of some maps.

No Health Potions:This icon will appear when you are trying

to drink a healing potion but you are out of them.

No Rejuvenation Potions:This icon will appear when you are

trying to drink a rejuvenation potion but you are out of them.

No Arrow Icon: This icon will appear when you are trying to

shoot your bow but are out of arrows.

Looting: To gather any gold your enemies have dropped, simply walk

over the gold where it lays on the floor, and your character will
automatically pick it up.

To pick up weapons, armor, and potions, or to open a chest, you’ll need
to press the X button. If picking up an item would raise your
character’s carrying capacity above 100%, then your character will be
unable to pick up the item until he lightens his load, either by dropping
or selling excess items.

1

43 5 6 7 8

2

9

1. Carrying Capacity

2. Gold Piece Total

3. Weapons Tab

4. Armor Tab

5. Potions/Magic Items Tab

6. Statistics Tab

7. Quest Journal Tab

8. Feats Tab

9. Character Model

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Charisma: Charisma measures a character’s force of personality,

persuasiveness, personal magnetism, and physical attractiveness. The
higher your character’s Charisma, the less trouble they will have
buying and selling items at the local store... in fact, your character may
find the prices quite reasonable indeed.

Note that as you gain levels, you will gain points to spend on increasing
your abilities. Every four levels you attain gives you one point you can
spend to increase an ability of your choice (you get one point at 4th
level, another at 8th, the third at 12th, and so on).

Secondary Statistics

Experience: This is the total number of experience points your

character has. Your character gains experience points both by
completing quests and killing monsters. Note that in a two player
game, the player that kills a monster gets 60% of the experience, while
the other player gets 40%. Both players get 100% of the experience
gained from quests, however.

Next Level: This number represents the number of experience points

your character needs to reach the next level of experience. Every time
you gain a level, you gain more health, arcane energy points to spend
on feats and, depending on the level, your ability scores.

Health: Health or hit points (hp) is a measure of how many points of

damage your character can take before dying. When a character
reaches 0 hit points, they are dead. Hit points are represented by the
red bar on the upper left corner of the main game screen (see Main
Game Screen, p. 15).

Hit points can be healed via potions, and they will also regenerate
slowly over time. A high Constitution allows you to regenerate hit
points faster than normal.

Arcane Energy: Arcane energy is a measure of how much energy a

character has to use active feats, spells, or special attacks. When a
character has 0 points of arcane energy, they will be unable to use any
spells or feats that require energy.

Arcane energy can be recovered via potions, and the energy will also
regenerate slowly over time. A higher Intelligence allows you to
recover arcane energy faster.

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CHARACTER ABILITIES

There are a number of abilities that define your character:

Strength: Strength measures your character’s physical power.

Characters with a high Strength have a better chance to hit opponents
in melee combat, do more damage when they hit, and can carry more
weight than weaker characters.

Intelligence: Intelligence determines how well your character learns

and reasons. The higher your character’s Intelligence, the faster your
arcane energy regenerates, and the more arcane energy points you
gain each time you advance a level.

Wisdom: Wisdom describes your character’s willpower, common

sense, perception and intuition. The higher your character’s Wisdom,
the more experience points your character will gain when they kill
monsters or accomplish quests.

Dexterity: Dexterity measures your character’s hand-eye coordination,

agility, reflexes, and balance. Characters with a high Dexterity have a
better chance to hit opponents with ranged weapons and have a better
Armor Class (See Armor, p. 22).

Constitution: Constitution represents your character’s health and

stamina. A high Constitution means your character will have more hit
points and a faster hit point regeneration rate.

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Long Weapons (Staves)

Sequence: Attack-Attack-Attack-Knockback-Attack-Pause

This is a fast attack, similar to one-handed weapons. The fourth stage
knocks your opponent back.

Again, these attacks occur automatically. You do
not need to perform a sequence of actions to make
them happen; simply equipping the appropriate
weapon and attacking will cause these attack
combinations to occur.

There are other combat effects your character should be aware of:

KNOCKBACK

Every time you hit an opponent he gets knocked back slightly; if you
are doing a sequence attack, your character will move forward slightly
to compensate.

BLOCKING

You can only block permanently (unless you have the feat, Improved
Block) if you have a shield equipped. While two-handed weapons may
do more damage, sometimes it pays to have a decent one­handed weapon and a shield at the ready. A character wielding a bow
cannot block.

SPOILS OF COMBAT

When you defeat an opponent in combat, your character gains
experience points (and occasionally some loot as well). When a
character gains enough experience points, they gain a new level. When
a character achieves a new level, they gain additional hit points,
additional arcane energy points, and even special points that may spend
on gaining feats and raising their statistics, and even new spells. See the
spell and feat descriptions, p. 26, for more details.

Note that in a two-player game, the player that kills a monster gets
60% of the experience, while the other player gets 40%. Both players
get 100% of the experience gained from quests, however.

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Armor: Armor represents a character’s Armor Class (AC), a measure

of how difficult it is to hit and damage a character in combat. The
higher this score, the better.

Base Attack: This is the bonus your character has to hit an opponent

in combat. The higher, the better your chances of hitting your enemies.

Damage: This is the base attack damage your character does. Once

again, the higher the better, much to your enemies' dismay.

COMBAT

To attack a creature, you choose a weapon (or no weapon, if you're
feeling brave), then simply press the A button in the game. You will
attack in whatever direction your character is facing. There are a
number of combinations of attacks that may occur automatically when
your character is using certain weapons:

One Handed Weapons

Sequence: Attack-Attack-Attack-Attack-Pause

This is the fastest attack method, but it doesn't
tend to do as much damage as the other types of
attacks. On the other hand, wielding a one-handed
weapon also allows you to hold a shield, which is
good for blocking.

Two-Handed Axes

Sequence: Attack-Attack-Slight Pause-Sweeping
Arc-Pause

This is slower than the one-handed weapon attack.
The third part of the sequence does a sweeping
attack which hits all foes in an arc in front of you.

Two-Handed Swords

Sequence: Attack-Attack-Slight Pause-Big
Attack-Pause

The “Big Attack” in the middle of this sequence
increases your chance of scoring a critical hit on an
opponent. Some enchanted weapons in the game
have a special attack when they score a critical hit.

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Armor Tab: When this tab is selected, it shows all the armor the

shopkeeper has for sale, or all the armor in your inventory, depending
on whether you're buying or selling.

Potions/Magic Items Tab: When selected, this tab lists potions and

other magic items (such as amulets and rings) in the shopkeeper's store
if you're the buyer, or the potions and magic items in your inventory if
you're the one selling items.

WEAPON ATTRIBUTES

Weapons in Dark Alliance have several attributes:

Damage: This is how much damage in hit points (hp) the weapon

does. It does not include your Strength bonus, so hand-to-hand
weapons may do more damage than listed if your character has a
high Strength.

Value: The gold piece value of the item.

Weight: The weight of the item.

Some weapons also have magical attributes:

Fire: This weapon can do fire damage to an opponent when it hits.

Keen: This weapon has an increased chance of scoring critical hits.

Ice:T his weapon can do frost damage to an opponent when it hits.

Shock: This weapon can do electrical damage to an opponent

when it hits.

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SHOPKEEPERS

Over the course of the game, you’ll encounter shopkeepers you can buy
and sell items from. To open their shops, simply speak to them, and
you’ll be given a choice as to whether to buy or sell items, then you’ll be
taken to a sub-screen which resembles the character inventory screen.

Carrying Capacity: This lists the percentage of the character’s total

carrying capacity that is currently being used. You cannot carry more
than 100% of your carrying capacity... you must either drop or sell
something first in order to make room for new items.

Gold Piece Total: This is the total number of gold pieces your

character has.

Weapons Tab: When this tab is selected, it will show all the weapons

the shopkeeper has for sale, or it will show all the weapons in your
inventory, depending on whether you’re buying or selling.

1. Carrying Capacity

2. Gold Piece Total

3. Weapons Tab

4. Armor Tab

5. Potions/Magic Items Tab

1

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Arcane Quiver: (Arcane Archer) This feat reduces the weight of arrows

in your inventory, allowing you to hold enough to take down an army.

Combat Reflexes: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) With this

feat, your attack speed increases slightly, allowing you to hammer
down foes more quickly.

Death Blow: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) If you take the

Death Blow feat, your critical hits will deal more damage.

Deflect Missiles: (Arcane Archer) This feat gives you a chance of

automatically blocking missile attacks. This is useful when that swarm
of kobold archers suddenly pops up from around the corner.

Dodge: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) If you don't like being

hit, take the Dodge feat. It gives you a +1 bonus to your Armor Class
and makes your enemies' lives much harder.

Enchant Arrows: (Arcane Archer) With this feat, every normal arrow

you fire becomes enchanted, doing additional damage when it hits.

Endurance: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) Increases your

carrying capacity, allowing you to haul more loot out of dungeons.

Improved Block: (Dwarven Fighter) Improved Block allows you to

block with a melee weapon, without having a shield equipped. Perfect
for characters who prefer two-handed weapons but still want the
ability to block when need be.

Improved Critical: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) Increases

your chance of scoring a critical hit in combat, something your enemies
won't care for too much.

Intestinal Fortitude: (All) Intestinal Fortitude increases your health

regeneration rate. T his reduces the amount of time you have to spend
to wait to get back up to full health in the dungeon. Note: Kromlech,
the dwarven fighter, begins the game with one rank in this feat.

Meditation: (All) Increases your arcane energy regeneration rate. Just

as regeneration aids your health recovery, meditation reduces the
amount of time you have to spend to wait to get back up to full power
in the dungeon.

Shield Expert: (Dwarven Fighter) Your character really knows how to

use a shield. This feat gives you an additional armor class bonus when
you have a shield equipped.

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ARMOR ATTRIBUTES

Armor in Dark Alliance has several attributes:

Name of the Item: This is the name of the item as it appears in your

inventory.

Armor Class Bonus: This is how many points of protection the

piece of armor provides. The higher, the better.

Value: The gold piece value of the item.

Weight: The weight of the item.

SPELLS AND FEATS

Spells and feats are special abilities your character gains, such as a new
attack types, additional health points, and so on, that help to customize
your character as you go up in levels. Every time you gain a level of
experience, you gain a number of points equal to your level that you
can spend to gain a new spell or feat, or improve an existing spell or
feat. At 1st level, you will get one point, at 2nd level, two points, and
so on. Some spells and feats cost more points than others to gain or
improve, so you may need to save your points from level to level to get
some of the more expensive spells and feats earlier on.

Spells and feats work on a rank system, and many spells and feats have
multiple ranks. The more points you place into a spell or feat, the more
powerful that spell or feat becomes. Presented here is a list of spells
and feats the characters may choose from over the course of the game.
Each character has only a selection of the spells and feats listed below
to choose from — no character has access to all the spells and feats in
the game.

Next to each spell or feat below is a listing of which character(s) can use
the feat. Keep in mind, active spells and feats usually require energy to use.

PASSIVE FEATS

Passive Feats are always on and do not need to be activated.

Accuracy: (All) Improves the accuracy of your ranged attacks. You'll

find it much easier to wound creatures at a distance when you have this
feat. Note: Vahn, the Arcane Archer, starts with one rank in this feat.

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Fire Shield: (Sorceress) This spell encircles the caster in a

flaming wreath that damages any enemy that comes into
contact with it. Perfect for those close-quarters combats
when you're being mobbed from all sides.

Fireball: (Sorceress) A Dungeons & Dragons classic, a

fireball is a burst of flame that the sorceress can hurl at a
target. It detonates when it hits, doing damage to all
creatures within its radius; the greater the number of ranks
in the spell, the more damage it does.

Flaming Arrows: (Arcane Archer) This feat grants a

flaming aura to your arrows, causing them to do more
damage when they hit.

Hail of Arrows: (Arcane Archer) Allows you to fire

multiple arrows at once, starting with two arrows at rank
one, all the way up to six arrows at rank five. This feat
allows you to get more bang from your buck from any
quiver of arrows you pick up in a dungeon.

Ice Arrows: (Arcane Archer) This feat enchants your

arrows with an icy aura, increasing their damage and can
freeze opponents struck by them.

Lightning Bolt: (Sorceress) When cast, a bolt of lightning

streaks from the sorceress toward a nearby enemy,
inflicting electrical damage. At higher ranks of this spell, it
evolves into chain lightening, allowing the sorceress to harm
multiple enemies in the bolt's path.

Magic Missile: (Sorceress) When used, a missile of magical

energy darts forth and unerringly strikes a target. The
Sorceress gains an additional magic missle for every two
levels above first (at 3rd level she fires two missles, at 5th
fires three missles) up to a maximum of five missles.

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Sword and Fist: (Dwarven Fighter) This feat increases your chance to

hit with melee weapons.

Targeting: (All) Helps you aim your weapon by providing a targeting

line on the screen. This handy feat can save you a fortune in arrows in
the long run. Note: Vahn, the Arcane Archer, starts with one rank in
this feat.

Toughness: (Arcane Archer and Dwarven Fighter) This feat grants

you a permanent +3 Health bonus per rank.

Willpower: (All) This feat gives you +5 arcane energy permanently for

each rank you take in it. Useful for the sorceress and any other
character that relies on energy for their main attacks.

ACTIVE FEATS

Active spells and feats need to be selected from the spell and feat menu
and activated by pressing the B button in order to take effect.

Ball Lightning: (Sorceress) A ball of electricity travels

forth from the caster, striking all nearby foes with lightning.
Much like the Arcane Archer's “Hail of Arrows” feat, Ball
Lightning can help clear a room quickly.

Bull Rush: (Dwarven Fighter) This is a short, powerful

charge that inflicts tremendous damage. It costs arcane
energy to use, but the results are worth it.

Burning Hands: (Sorceress) When used, Burning Hands

turns the sorceress into a magical flamethrower, emitting a
cone-shaped blast of fire from her hands to torch any
enemies within range. Note: Adrianna, the Elven Sorceress,
starts with one rank in this spell.

Clangeddin's Fist: (Dwarven Fighter) A gift of the

dwarven god Clangeddin, this feat allows you to strike the
ground with a warhammer to smite your foes.

Exploding Arrows: (Arcane Archer) Enchants arrows so

that they explode when they strike a target. Perfect for
scattering large clumps of monsters quickly.

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Jherek

Jherek is a mysterious robed figure with a no­nonsense attitude, a stern voice, and an intensity
that can be offsetting to anyone meeting him for
the first time. He is a member of the Harpers, a
group that strives to protect the Realms from evil.
There are rumors that he has the support of the
Dukes of Baldur's Gate, and his arrival on the scene

is usually a guarantee that some great evil is afoot.

Karne

A thief by trade and an opportunist by nature,
Karne is a bandit who has been known to ply his
trade in Baldur's Gate and throughout the Sword
Coast. There are many rewards posted for his
capture, but he has never been caught. Rumors
claim he has recently returned to Baldur's Gate

after an extended journey north and that he now
serves a powerful (and wealthy) patron... though the identity of the
patron is anyone's guess.

MONSTERS

Kobolds

These cowardly little dog-headed
humanoids are known for their rapid
breeding and their tendency to mob any
adventurers that invade their territory. They
prefer to attack from a distance when
possible with spears or spells, and many
shamans can be found amongst their tribes.

White Dragon

White dragons can be found in extremely
cold environments, making their lairs in icy
caverns safe from the rays of the sun. These
dragons are fearsome opponents; not only
can they bite and claw opponents for
horrendous amounts of damage, but they
also have the ability to breathe a cone of
frost at opponents, freezing them solid and

rendering them helpless.

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CHARACTERS

You'll meet many people in Dark Alliance, some friendly, some... not.

“Lady” Alyth Elendara

Alyth is a half-elven bartender that owns the
Elfsong Tavern in Baldur's Gate. A peculiar
establishment frequented by outlaws and pirates,
the Elfsong Tavern gets its name from a beautiful
female elven voice that can be heard singing in the
tavern when night falls. No one knows why the
spirit sings her sad lament, but it is heartbreaking to

listen to and keeps patrons returning to the tavern night after night.

Bartley

Bartley is a crusty equipment shop owner with a
voice that sounds like it's coming from deep within
an empty wine cask. He has set up shop in the
Elfsong Tavern with Alyth's permission, and he has
a fine selection of goods that players can buy...
and he's always on the look out to buy any choice
treasures adventurers come across in their journeys.

Ethon

Ethon's a regular in the Elfsong Tavern; he's a
sharp, helpful fellow who’s always willing to share a
drink as well as give tips to aspiring adventurers —
even if the advice is simply to warn them to steer
clear of adventure and take up less dangerous
pursuits. He spends most of his time sitting in a

corner of the Elfsong Tavern, watching people
come and go — and occasionally playing “gopher”for Alyth by running
down to the Elfsong cellar and fetching bottles of wine for her.

Fayed

Fayed is a fresh-faced young priest of Ilmater (the

goodly god of suffering and martyrs) who is in

charge of the burial services and interring ashes in

the crypts beneath the Shrine of Suffering (the

temple of Ilmater in Baldur's Gate). He is proud of

his responsibilities at the Shrine, and his superiors

are quite pleased with his performance.

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TUTORIAL

From the Main Menu, if you choose Start New Game, you will notice
a tutorial option that is available to you. While it is not necessary you
do so, it can provide some helpful information that can aid your
character on his quest.

Some additional hints that may aid you at the beginning of your quest
in Baldur's Gate:

1. Take it slow. If you are wounded early on or run out of energy
quickly, simply wait around in an empty room and rest for a
while until your hit points and energy are back up to full. It can
save you from having to reload your game when an extra rat
jumps out at you when you were least expecting it.

2. Smash and break ever ything you can. Often, barrels, crates,
and vases contain items or gold that can help you on your quest.

3. Be careful with any barrels you encounter. Before attacking
them, wait to see if the “Ignite”option appears when you go up
next to them. If so, do not attack the barrel - at least with a
melee weapon, or else it will explode, doing a great deal of
damage to your character.

4. Don't forget the camera. You can move it around using the right
analog stick, and it can allow you to see into corners or sections
of the room that might otherwise be blocked to your line of
sight. It can prevent you from missing barrels and chests that are
hidden in the shadows.

5. Save often. When you see a new save point, use it. It can save
you a lot of frustration later on.

6. Recall. Using your recall potions can save you a lot of running
back and forth between town and the dungeons. When you use
a recall potion to take you from a dungeon to the Elfsong Tavern
(or wherever your “safe point”is), just be sure not to leave the
Tavern so you can recall back to your original spot in the
dungeon.

Good luck and good adventuring... all of Baldur's Gate hinges on
your success!

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Ogres

About nine to ten feet tall at the shoulder
and strong enough to rip a tree out of the
ground, ogres are savage creatures known
for their voracious appetites and foul
temper. They are frequently found in the
company of other evil humanoids such as
gnolls and bugbears and are more than
content to let these creatures do the

thinking for them. In combat, ogres tend
to smash anything in their way with their fists or great clubs;
only rarely does an enemy survive one or two blows from these dim­witted brutes.

Displacer Beast

Resembling a puma with two barbed

tentacles sprouting from its shoulders,

displacer beasts are strange predators

with the ability to bend light around their

bodies, making it difficult to determine

exactly where the creature is until they

attack. Adventurers are advised to hold

their attacks until a displacer beast is
almost upon them, or else they are in danger of their attacks striking
empty air.

Frost Giant

Frost giants make their homes in frozen,

snow-covered lands across the F

ORGOTTEN

REALMS and survive by hunting and raiding

the surrounding area for slaves and food.

Towering more than twice the height of a

human, these giants are incredibly strong

and are quick to use brute force to solve

any problems they come across.

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CREDITS

INTERPLAY
ENTERTAINMENT

AUDIO

Sound and Music Supervisor

Adam Levenson

Supervising Mastering Engineer

Craig Duman

Sound Design

Rebecca Hanck
Mark Allen
Paul Gorman (Duff Studios, Inc.)
Ann Scibelli
Harry Cohen (Soundelux)
Mike Kamper

Music by

Jeremy Soule

(www.jeremysoule.com)

Will Loconto (Elfsong Remix)

Elfsong Vocalist

Darlene Koldenhoven

Elfsong Vocal Recording
Engineer

Doug Lenier

Music Editing

Ron Valdez

VO Casting/
Direction Supervision

Chris Borders

VO Recorded at

Screenmusic Studios

VO Talent

Michael Bell
Earl Boen
Jim Cummings
Grey Delisle
Wayne Grace
Jennifer Hale
Vanessa Marshall
Bill Martin
John Mayer
Kevin M. Richardson
Hidi Shannon
Dwight Schultz
Frank Welker
Cam Clarke
John Rhys-Davies
Tony Jay
Cree Summer
Jeff Bennett
Corry Burton

Supervising Dialog Editor

Stephen Miller

Dialog Editing

JP Walton
Scott Purvis

Mastering

Frank Szick

Audio Scripting &
Supervision

Craig Duman

Audio Scripting

Stephen Miller
JP Walton

Dialog Localization Mastering

Frank Szick

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CREDITS

PRODUCED BY
BLACK ISLE STUDIOS

www.blackisle.com

PRODUCTION

El Presidente

Feargus Urquhart

Producer

Darren Monahan

Line Producer

Kevin Osburn

Audio and Localization Producer

Fred Hatch

Design

Chris Avellone

Additional VO Animation

Pete Meihuizen
David Pursley
Glenn Price

Division Operations Manager

Benson

DEVELOPED BY
SNOWBLIND STUDIOS

www.snowblindstudios.com

Lead & Engine Programmer

Ezra Dreisbach

Game Design

Chris Avellone
Ezra Dreisbach
Ryan Geithman

Game Programming

Ryan Geithman
Paul Haugerud
Raoul Said

Lead Character Artist

John Van Deusen

Lead Background Artist

Brian Sostrom

Senior Artists

Brian Johnson
Jason Wiggin

Artists

Chris Donovan
Tami Foote
Joel Payne
Javier Rodriguez

Cinematic Artists

Brian Sostrom
Jason Wiggin
John Van Deusen

Business Directors

Ryan Geithman
Brian Sostrom

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SPECIAL THANKS TO

Eric Demilt, Rodney Relosa, Gabriela Sanchez, Chris Parker, Ray, Greg
and everyone at BioWare Corp., and Floyd Grubb and J.E. Sawyer for
their keen eyes for rules and rule implementation.

Jason would like to thank his patient wife Heather and their son
Christopher.

Raoul would like to thank his wife Maureen for her unbounded support
and patience.

bgdaxbox.blackisle.com

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CREDITS

Foley Supervision

Charles Deenen

Foley Artist

Gregg Barbanell (Wilshire Stages)

Foley Mixer

Shawn Kannelly (Wilshire Stages)

Sound Librarian

Scott Purvis

Audio Director

Charles Deenen

Audio Operations Manager

Gloria Soto

Mixed in
at Interplay Entertainment

Mixing by

Lance Brown
Charles Deenen (End Cinematic)

MARKETING

Director

Barbara Gleason

Product/Public Relations
Managers

Paige Slaughter
Tamara Johnston

Manual

Chris Avellone

Manual Design and Layout

Michael L. Quintos
Tim Baker

Traffic Manager

Kathryne Wahl

VIDEO SERVICES

Senior Video Manager

Dan Williams

Senior Media Producer/Editor

Dave Cravens

Media Producer/Editor

Chris Folino

Web

Jessica Urquhart
Bill Stoudt
Kristen Adam

QUALITY ASSURANCE

QA Special Product Manager

Eric Fong

QA Operations Manager

Shanna Takayama

QA Product Manager

Amy Presnell

QA Analysts

Gary Tesdall
John Kirkland
Amy Presnell
Charles Salzman
Jeff Husges
Ed Hyland
Te x Ya n g
Jeff Mitchell
Matthew Phillips
Justin Hamilton
Robert Hanson
Chris Heidari
Michael Los

CREDITS

QA Analysts (cont.)

Tony Chan
Erick Lujan
John Boomershine

LOCALIZATION

International Product Manager

Tom Decker

International Product Assistant

Rafael Lopez

Localization Editors

Olaf Becker
Carole Huguet
Hedwige Steleman

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INTERPLAY WEBSITE

Welcome to the Interplay Web! As a company dedicated to providing
innovative, high-quality interactive entertainment software, we are always
striving to stay as close as possible to the leading edge of technology. This
Web site is the latest example of our ongoing effort to provide a wealth of
information and opportunities to you.

As a company of fanatic gamers, we love the idea of gamers all over the
world tapping into cyberspace to see, touch and feel our latest games. No
hype, no marketing campaign; just great games. To make it work, our goal
is to keep this site fresh and new, to make it a place where you can tell US
what you like about our games... and what you don’t like about them. So
use the feedback options on these pages and sound off.

Enjoy your visit in our Web site, explore all the different areas we have to
offer, and come back soon. Check us out in the weeks and months ahead;
we will be introducing new and exciting areas for you to experience.

Once again, welcome.

Herve Caen
C.E.O.

Interplay’s World Wide Web site is an Internet service designed to give you the latest
information about Interplay and our products. This site features our demos, upgrades, product
information and ordering information.

This website is not intended for technical support, but to offer new machines and the latest
product information. For technical support, please contact Interplay as described in the Customer
Support section.

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from your internet account, point your browser to

WWW.INTERPLAY.COM

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