Baldur's Gate: The Zero Reload Saga

Just dispatched my first wave of goblins. I had Jaheira charge the archers because they’re the only ones that ever manage to hit anything, and Vespero stood back for a bit and then rushed in to deal with the axe-wielders.

Yeah, that’s right. Vespero uses women as shields. You want to make something of it? Well, there’s Jaheira. Take it up with her.

Of course I swipe the arrows, because what you can take from the goblins in this dungeon alone is enough to last you for about half the game. Everything else except the odd gem gets left behind, however, because I can’t be bothered playing inventory management long enough to haul it all out and sell it.

Which I realise is odd, now that I’m writing about it and looking at my own actions. Composite long bows are worth a fair bit more than the puny, low-quality gems you get from the goblins (Sunstones and whatnot)…so why is it that when an enemy drops gems I always go to the trouble of lifting those, but not any of the non-magical equipment they have on them that’d probably turn out to be more valuable? The world may never know.

I don’t want to set off the trapped container and none of the others have anything worthwhile, so for the Peculiar Parlour of Persons Pickled, I just kill off the enemies inside for now…and one radiant mephit later we’ve got Jaheira a scimitar and shield.

Now this has always confused me. Who came up with the druid weapon restrictions and what exactly were they thinking? Spears, quarterstaffs and clubs…those I can understand, because those would all qualify as “natural” weapons. Why are scimitars acceptable? And what is it about a scimitar that makes it more acceptable than any other kind of sword? The fact that it’s curvy?

Well, katanas are curvy too. Druids should be allowed to use katanas.

But we won’t harp on about the AD&D system too much since it is not unlike kicking a sick puppy; far too easy. I do not, however, make any promises that the restrictions on Cleric weapon proficiencies won’t be taking a pounding too once I actually get a Cleric in the party.