Infinity Engine: Extraordinary Low Level Innate Abilities

Welcome to my 8th general Infinity Engine write-up; this one treating extraordinary low level innate abilities (in BG1, IWD1, PS:T and IWD2).

Only the abilities of PCs and companions are covered below, not those of NPCs and enemies. The abilities do not include exclusive equipment such as Morte's Teeth, Xan's Moonblade or Edwin's Birthright Amulet. I am only concerned with innate passive or activated abilities that are available at low level, and only with those that are extraordinary. Most of the below-covered abilities remain extraordinary until end-game.

Note that by "low level" I mean 1-3 or thereabouts. Dak'kon's Zerth Blade is spoken of as an extension of the Gith's will or morale, but it doesn't become extraordinary until 10th level.

• TNO Immortality (PS:T). This truly godly built-in ability deserves an immediate mention. Basically, The Nameless One or protagonist of Planescape: Torment is an immortal being. When he "dies", he auto-raises at a reset-point and can resume adventuring immediately. There is almost nothing and no one that can permanently kill him; the penalty of death solely consists in the need to reheal and travel back to the scene. For TNO, death is a means of travel: in the low levels, he usually appears back on his slab in the mortuary but in some cases he may travel to places he has not yet been (such as the Trash Warrens). This simulates the reinterment or collection of his corpse by Dustmen or others. Players that learn of the destinations can therefore get themselves killed on purpose in order to travel. Basically, death-travel can save on backtracking or speed up campaign advancement.

• TNO Raise Dead Special Ability (PS:T). Imagine a third level character that can Raise Dead as an innate ability three times per 8 hours of adventuring? TNO is at it again. This extraordinary latent ability is acquired from a regained memory while speaking to Deionarra in the Mortuary Prologue, but is entirely missable. If it is missed, TNO's companions can only be raised in combat zones by Fall-From-Grace once she breaks into fifth circle divine spells at 9th level or 225,000 XP. And we all know how many hoops we need to jump through in order to find Grace, recruit her, and level her to that point.

• Regeneration (BG1, PS:T). Most famously, BG1 Dwarves can attain regeneration at first level. Kagain's Constitution score of 20 means he comes with regen upon recruitment at first level, whereas first level Charname Dwarves with a Constitution score of 19 can gain 20 Constitution and regen by reading the Manual of Bodily Health found in Black Alaric's cave. Such entry-level regen heals 1 HP every 6 turns or 41 HPs per 8 hours of rest, as well as healing while area-transitioning. While its rate is not high enough to be of benefit in combat, entry-level regen is a powerful perk in low level survival campaigns such as BG, as it reduces the need for healing spells and potions immensely. Note that combat units devoid of regen heal 1 HP per 8 hour rest.

In PS:T, TNO sports regen at even the lowest Constitution scores; the rate of regen increasing as the score is cranked on level-ups (or through tattoos and other items, but that is not innate). TNO regenerates 1 HP every other round at Con 18 (as low as third character level; that is, chargen) and maxes out a whopping 12 HPs per round at Con 25 (as low as ninth level), which is four times the rate of a troll and almost twice that of a Solar.

Note that Dak'kon and Morte can attain solid healing-rate regen, but only through items.

• Ranger IWD1 dual-wielding (IWD1). Black Isle's IWD was the first IE game to employ dual-wielding that impacts ApR [cite, cite], though the holding of two weapons is not visually represented. Rangers receive an extra attack (ApR +1) if their shield-hand is free. This makes Rangers and Ranger/Clerics better physical-based damage dealers than other warriors. Rangers also erroneously receive this bonus when wielding two-handed weapons such as Great Swords (1d10). Even without employing the exploit, this is one of the most powerful abilities on the IE.

• Morte Damage Resistance (PS:T). Second Level Morte boasts 100% normal/magical cold resistance and 100% poison resistance as well as 75% DR vs. unenchanted or enchanted slashing, piercing or crushing damage. Thus, he is the King Supertanker. Other IE characters, classes and builds can match or exceed this DR, but they require items, spells and/or epic levels in order to do so.

• Baldur's Gate Race: Dwarf, Halfling & Gnome racial saving throw bonus (BG1, IWD1). Dwarves and Halflings receive a one-point bonus to Paralyze / Poison / Death, Rod / Staff / Wand and Spell saving throws for every 3.5 points in Constitution (4 rounded up), whereas Gnomes receive the same bonus but not for Paralyze / Poison / Death. This is a strong bonus that maxes out at +5 over other races (Con 20).

• Viconia BG1 Magic Resistance (BG1). In my vids, we can see that Dwarves and Viconia survive heavy spellcasting assaults much more readily than other races or characters. For Dwarves, that is by virtue of their Constitution + racial saving throw bonus based on Con, but for Viconia it is by virtue of being Drow. Second Level Viconia sports an impressive 50% MR, which Monks take a lifetime to achieve and only the greatest artifacts of Realmslore bestow (Carsomyr). Drow MR also stacks with the Cloak of Balduran for 75% MR in BG. Note that the value of MR is somewhat reduced by the fact that, in BG, even buffing and healing spells are subject to its resistance check, aka not MR-bypassing (this is by design, as MR is considered both a blessing and a curse).

• Deep Gnome IWD2 Innates (IWD2). Icewind Dale 2 Drow sport impressive innates (SR and +stats), and Duergar paralysis immunity is also powerful and as rare as hell in cRPGs (though does not encompass stun), but Deep Gnomes take the cake. Imagine a first level combat unit that (most notably) sports Spell Resistance 11, all-saves +2, Dodge AC +4, Mirror Image 1/Day, Invisibility 1/Day and Blur 1/Day as well as innate Nondetection and even +1 attack vs. common low level scum, such as goblins (IWD2 Prologue has 68). Well, that's the Deep Gnome.

Off-hand, I can think of no other extraordinary low level innate abilities on the IE. I suppose the Gnome's +spell slot in multi-classing and Human dual-classing counts (BG and IWD), but those are already covered in Best Races Baldur's Gate.

Low level Sorcerers of IWD2 may also qualify, since their spells are innate. The to-hit +2 of Dex 19 Elves wielding longbows could factor in (BG1 and IWD1), though it's scraping the bottom of the barrel.