Baldur's Gate: The Zero Reload Saga

BOY I SURE DO LOVE FIGHTING GOBLINS. FIGHTING GOBLINS SURE IS FUN AND SURE DOES NOT EVER GET TIRESOME, SURE ENOUGH.

Yoshimo really knows how to make a sneak attack count at times when he really doesn't need to. I managed to lure one of the archers into chasing after us alone, and Yoshi promptly splattered it all over the room with a 53-point backstab. Wasn't even a critical. Thanks, Yoshimo, but if you could save that kind of performance for enemies that are actually dangerous, that would be just great.

You know, something's just occurred to me. Don't composite longbows require a strength of 18 to wield? Yes. They do. So how is it that these wimpy goblins are able to use them, but the big, strapping hunk of dark ranger meat that is Valygar cannot?

Another group of Duergar beyond the goblins, which were easy to deal with. I had Jaheira shoot an Entangle spell into the room , which ensnared everyone except the mage…who stupidly came charging straight down the corridor into a flurry of flashing katana death. Stayed out of range of the archers to snipe the axe-wielder, had Yoshimo backstab what was left over.

Only loot of any real interest in here is more healing potions and the Girdle of Bluntness, which again is going to Vespero. It's not going to help a lot given that not many enemies in the game use blunt weapons, and those that to don't tend to be the most fearsome melee combatants, but it'll do until something more useful comes along.

To Frennedan's room!

Now, I haven't forgotten everything about this place, thankfully. I know full well that this guy is a doppelganger and will turn on you at an inconvenient moment should you decide to let him accompany you out, so we will not be doing that.

I decided not to abuse my advance knowledge overmuch in this particular instance, however. I went to the trouble of following the conversation path that causes him to transform from an old, fat guy to a little kid right before your eyes. Vespero, therefore, could feasibly realise what Frennedan really was, and thus it wouldn't be in any way be unreasonable or unexpected for him to flip the hell out immediately after opening the door and cut some innocent prisoner into pieces like I just had him do.

Why was Irenicus keeping a doppelganger around? I don't know. I would theorise that it was to force it to transform into a likeness of his ex, but…ugh. That's just gross. It might have shape-shifted, but you'd still know exactly what the thing you're trying to get it up for really looks like.

Moreover, why does the doppelganger feel the need to attack you after you let it out? This is a classic example of "Stupid Evil." It doesn't stand to gain anything by murdering you, and you've just released it from a prison and are going to lead it to freedom, probably acting as a convenient shield against any hostiles it should encounter along the way. It could have just left you alone, got out of here and lived a happy life screwing with people's heads and then killing them, (because apparently that's all doppelgangers like to do) but no. Had to go and push its luck.

A minute or two spent looting the various magical items and scrolls that Irenicus evidently deemed suitable to be left inside an occupied prison cell, and we're now on the home stretch. Just a few more baddies to kill and then we'll finally be out of this place.