I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but this is generally how I've been approaching the prologue and the first two chapters of the main storyline.

  • Character Class: So far, I've tried a pure cleric and a fighter/cleric. On the whole, I prefer the fighter/cleric multi-class dwarf because it lets me shove Jaheira into a support role instead of being a primary fighter. The fighter/cleric can wear heavy armor and medium shields (Jaheira is limited to leather/buckler). Paladins would also be a possibility. Other players prefer a fighter that later dual-classes into a thief, or vice-versa, or a multi-class fighter/thief combo. Pure mages can be difficult due to the low HP, but that's a non-issue once you pickup Montaron or Khalid who are both available right at the start.

    The main downside to a multi-class is that it will level at 1/2 the speed as a pure class would. So early on, you're going to be trailing the pure classes like Khalid or Imoen by a level or two. Which means fewer hit points, fewer spells, etc. Still, I'm preferring the fighter/cleric multi-class character in my current game more then I liked the pure cleric.


  • Prologue (equipment): The start of the game puts you in Candlekeep, a fairly idyllic setting. The first order of business is to duck inside the inn and buy some basic equipment.

    - Buy two slings + 4-7 stacks of bullets (or a bow + arrows).
    - Buy two melee weapons and a shield (medium is good).
    - Buy the studded leather armor if it fits.
    - Buy a helmet (if you can wear it).
    - Buy a stack of bolts.
    - Buy 4 stacks of arrows and a short bow.

    The goal here is to be able to outfit everyone that you might meet on the road to your next stop with ranged weapons. Slings are inexpensive and a good way to do that as they can be universally used. You can always refit your party later, but you'll be in a bit of a pinch if you don't have something.

    If you're rolling a fighter, make sure you have as much armor as you can afford (shield + chest piece) and have two melee weapons. The 2nd weapon is in case your primary weapon breaks. I've had times where the melee weapon lasts forever, and other times where I broke it during the first fight in Candlekeep. With a good DEX score, you might get your AC as low as 2-4 before leaving Candlekeep.


  • Prologue (Candlekeep): While you can talk to Gorion before you're ready to leave, make sure that you don't select the "ready to go" option. Most people will want to accomplish the following tasks before that:

    - Talk to everyone in the inn.
    - Go clockwise around the outer courtyard, talking to everyone you see.
    - Visit the priest quarters (north side).
    - Visit the store house.
    - Visit the barracks, talk to everyone inside.
    - Visit the bunk house.
    - Explore the inner courtyard, don't rebuff Imoen.
    - (optional) Do the group combat tutorial.
    - Turn-in quest items, clear your quest log.
    - Prepare to leave.

    You should have spare ammo, spare ranged weapons, and a good handle on solo combat before leaving. The only major screw-up you can make here is rebuffing Imoen, unless you don't want her in your party later.


  • Chapter One (getting to FAI): At the start of Chapter One, Imoen will approach you unless you told her to buzz off during the Prologue. The basic flow is as follows:

    - Accept Imoen into the party.
    - Save the game.
    - Check the map, go back to where Gorion was killed and loot.
    - Run back to the road and save again.
    - Head east on the Lion's Way.
    - Talk to Kolssed.
    - Talk to Xzar and Montaron (have them join).
    - Check for hidden items using the [Tab] key or by mousing over things.
    - Enter the Coast Way.
    - Go east along the road, then north towards Friendly Arms Inn (FAI).
    - Enter FAI, save the game.
    - Explore FAI courtyard and find the inn.
    - Recruit Khalid and Jaheira, outfit party.
    - Talk to everyone in the inn and courtyard buildings.

    The goals at this stage are to survive getting to FAI, recruit new members, survive ambushes, and outfit a basic adventuring party. If you need a place to store things, there are (2) unlocked containers on the third floor in the lower-right room.


  • Chapter One (initial quests): When you have finished all possible business inside of FAI's walls, head back to the front gate and save. Explore the southeast portion of the FAI map (look for hidden items), then make a counter-clockwise loop around the FAI keep while following the road.

    After defeating the hobgoblins and finding what you were looking for, fully explore the rest of the FAI map. Optionally, you may decide to duck into the area north of FAI (the fishing village that looks like farmland), but don't linger in that zone. By quickly visiting that zone and then leaving, it makes it easier to quickly travel to there later. Go back to FAI and turn in your hobgoblin quest, then get ready to travel south.


  • Chapter One (onward to Beregost): One important thing to keep in mind is that you only have 10-14 game days before Xzar, Montaron, Khalid and Jaheira will become annoyed with you and leave if you do not get to Nashkel by then. So I suggest that you do as few side-quests as possible on the way to Nashkel. You can always turn around and come back to do them later.

    Head south out of FAI's map into the Coast Way map. I suggest staying on the west half of the map, unless you're confident in your ability to kite stronger enemies while the ranged weapon characters shoot it. Keep going south along the road until you reach Beregost. Make a permanent save before entering the Beregost area (Why? It's called the "Beregost Bug" and can corrupt your game. Always save before entering and make a 2nd save when exiting and then test for corruption by re-entering Beregost.)


  • Ch 1 (Beregost): On our first visit, we're just passing through. If you need to sell, head to the smithy in the lower-right corner of the map, otherwise just head for the south edge and zone out.


  • South to Nashkel: The first zone is South Beregost Road. You'll encounter a few minor enemies along the way, but nothing that a full party can't handle this early. Keep following the road south.

    Next, you'll enter the North Nashkel Road zone, which is a windy/twisty path through some rougher country. Again, keep following the road south, fighting or running from anything you encounter.

    Finally, you'll reach Nashkel (and get another cute little cut-scene). Now you've fulfilled your agreement with Xzar/Montaron to go to Nashkel. Jaheira/Khalid will also stop complaining about not going to Nashkel as well. That frees you up from having to watch the game calendar.

    So what do we do when we get to Nashkel? We turn around and leave. You might want to visit the Nashkel Store (2nd building past the bridge on the east side) to restock, however. Or take a rest at the Nashkel Inn. But don't get involved in the local politics here if you can avoid it.

    Welcome to Chapter Two (which starts after you enter Nashkel).


  • General Tips: At this point, we have no magic weapons, most everyone is still level one, but we have a full party and lots of ranged ammo. So the first order of business is money, experience, and maybe some armor/weapons.

    Tips:
    - Don't sell gems until you have a full stack.
    - Xvarts sometimes drop mage scrolls along with jewelry and gems.
    - Gibberlings frequently drop jewelry and gems.
    - Don't give Xzar spells (except Identify) as he'll leave when you get goody-goody.
    - Hobgoblins drop Bastard Swords and Short Bows (decent gold).

    Whenever you sell something to a merchant, the next time you sell the same item to them, they will offer less for that item. So the most efficient method is to collect as many of a particular item as possible, then sell it all as one big batch. If you only have (1) short sword, wait until you have 6-10 short swords before selling any of them, etc. I usually stuff spare gems into the containers at FAI along with scrolls that I might want for a later mage.

    In general, short swords, daggers, non-magical ammo, regular leather armor is not worth picking up or selling. Long swords, studded leather, bows, bastard swords and two handed swords are generally worth carrying to the merchants. Jewelry is good, although the silver rings/necklaces aren't worth much, as it is lightweight and sells for a decent amount. Gems are ideal because they stack and you can collect big piles of them to sell off all at once later on. Magic scrolls are worth 50gp per level of the spell, but it's harder to collect multiple copies of them to avoid depreciation as there are so many different scrolls. Potions, if you are using the Hard Times mod, cannot be sold - but all potions should be stockpiled anyway.

    Early on, every character should carry one potion of Cure Light Wounds (a light blue vial) and one potion of Antidote (light green) if you can afford it. If money is tight, focus on outfitting your fighters with potions. Ideally, every character should have a full stack of five healing potions and a pair of poison antidote potions. If not immediately, then before you enter the Nashkel Mines at the end of Chapter Two.


  • Getting to level 2 and 3: The basic areas where you can safely grind for XP or quest for items are:

    - North Nashkel Road (area N of Nashkel)
    - South Beregost Road (area S of Beregost)
    - Coastal Way (N of Beregost)
    - Lion's Way (W of Coastal Way)

    You should fully explore those four areas and complete any quests that would take you there which you picked up in FAI or Beregost. Don't bother going back to Nashkel until your primary fighter is at least level two (and preferably level 3 for the additional hit points). If Imoen levels up to level two, put the majority of her skill points into Pick Locks (then put the rest into Detect Traps).

    I generally shuttle back and forth between Beregost and FAI, selling and resting as needed, and clearing the areas. With EasyTutu, usually by the time I've cleared all four areas, the first will have respawned.

    My personal goals during this time are:
    - Get XP, get gems/jewelry/spells.
    - Get my primary fighter to level 2 or 3.
    - Get Imoen to level 2 or 3 with 50+ in both Detect Traps and Pick Locks.
    - Get everyone else to level 2.


  • Early Magical Weapons: One of the things you'll find if you have EasyTutu along with the HardTimes mod is that magical weapons are very hard to find. Here are a handful that you can probably get before level 3:

    - Have Imoen burgle the Beregost smithy in the middle of the night. Which gets you a weapon that Khalid can use.

    - Deal with Garrick and Silke in Beregost. That gets you something that Jaheira can use.

    - If your primary character is a fighter/cleric multi-class, go find and kill Bassilus. Save before attempting this. If you answer the conversation options correctly, a really difficult fight will turn into an only moderately difficult fight. Which gets you a 1H magical weapon that clerics can use. However, this requires that you explore harder zones outside of the four listed above.

    Your ranged characters will need to buy magical ammo in order to hit creatures that are immune to normal weapons. But magical ammo is scarce and very expensive at the merchant. But unless you run across a Vampire Wolf north of Nashkel, you won't need to worry about that until Chapter 3 or 4 in the story (after the Nashkel Mine).


  • Nashel Mines or Minsc?: When you get to level 2 to 3, you now have a choice. Pickup Minsc (ranger) and Dynaheir (mage) or go to the mines. Either is a good choice, but Xzar and Montaron are usually complaining by the time I get to this point in the game about our goody-goody ways. So you can either stick with Montaron/Xzar (go steal something, or attack an innocent to bring your reputation back down) or ditch them in a Beregost Inn and replace them.

    The advantage of Minsc is that you pickup a very colorful character who is the favorite of most players. He's a ranger, so can wear chainmail and can use a long bow (heavy damage). He's also strong, so can carry 320lbs of loot like heavy swords and armor. The downsides are that you must go rescue Dynaheir within 10 days and Dynaheir is a weaker mage then Xzar due to her spell selection.

    Or you could go visit the mines with the party that you already have. In general, the mines are survivable as long as everyone is level 2 or higher. You could probably even do it with level 1 characters if you're really good. There's a lawful neutral alignment mage deep down in the mine that you can recruit as well, in case you want a choice other then Xzar or Dynaheir.

    However... the boss fight at the end of the mine is not easy (but not that difficult), so you will want (2) characters with good AC. One to keep the boss busy, the other to handle the adds that will spawn and attack. The boss also casts spells, so some sort of silence or sleep or charm is a good idea.

    Worse, after you leave the mines (and enter Chapter Three), you are going to be ambushed by a very strong party of enemies. There will be bow users (with poison arrows) and casters. Silence, sleep, charm, and spell interrupts are going to be a must along with healing and antidote potions. And you'll probably lose a party member or two unless you get lucky. So make sure that you're prepared for that and/or can afford the 800gp fee to raise people from the dead.

    I tend to put off going down into the mine until I've gotten Minsc/Dynaheir. But I will go visit the surface zone which gets me the potential for a bit more loot and magical items. I'll pickup some of the Nashkel side quests and visit the Nashkel Carnival as well to get gold/XP before going down below.