This is not a walkthrough, just some useful information to help you on your adventure.

Character Creation

When creating your character, you can re-roll and adjust the abilities as much as you want. All characters benefit from high strength and constitution, as well as the abilities your character's class requires.

Wizard Slayers can't use magical items except armour, weapons, healing potions, Elixir of Health and antidotes. In my opinion they make decent fighters, as every time they hit an opponent they cause 10% chance of spell failure which increases with each hit. They also have 1% magic resistance per level

If your character is a type of paladin, I recommend being proficent in Two handed Sword as there is a +5 two handed sword if you kill Firkraag in Windspear Hills. It's only usable by paladins or (several chapters later) by anyone who has Use Any Item ability.

Although Cavaliers (Paladin) can't use missile weapons, they can use throwing daggers and axes. Axes can be heavy but there is a magical lightweight one that returns to user, sold at The Copper Coronet in the Slums. (You have to sort the problem out in the back rooms first.) It's called Azuredge, it's a +3 and is excellent against undead. Only good people can use it, or a few chapters later anyone with Use Any Item ability. There is another magical throwing axe early in the game but it's not as good, however any alignment can use it.

Useful information

You can pause/unpause the game at any time by either pressing spacebar or by clicking on the compass in the bottom left corner.

If you press the TAB key it will highlight any items or containers to pick. In the Android version, there is a magnifying glass button to press that will highlight all containers, items to pick and doors or stairs.

You can mark the area map anytime by right-clicking on the area and then type in the box; you can delete them later. It's very useful so that you know where something/someone important is.

A note about weight allowance: up to a point the characters can carry more than their weight allowance but they will be a lot slower. You'll know when you have overdone it because they will be walking on the spot.

If you find the game too difficult or too easy, you can change the difficulty at any time in the game options.

Don't forget to get a magic licence from inside the main government building (Government district); it costs 5000gp and means you are allowed to cast spells. Without it, you are only allowed to cast spells outdoors in Athkatla once before they arrest you.

Save before writing any spells as they may fail and will be destroyed.

I recommend you write spells instead of selling them as you gain experience for doing so and you can always delete them later. If your mage or bard has fabulous spells and you want more, they can drink potions of genius to gain more intelligence for a short time. If using a potion I recommend you store the spells to write later, all in one go. There is a place in the wall in Waukeen's Promenade which you can store many things in.

Make sure you have a wizard in your party who can identify as this will save lots of gold.

If a party member is turned into a vampire whilst fighting Bodhi, take their body, all their items and Bodhi's Heart to the Temple Ruins. Place their body and Bodhi's heart in the container of the Statue of Amaunator in the Temple Ruins Dungeon. They will then be back to normal and very willing to re-join the party. If you had someone temporarily, make sure you take all their items before doing this.

In Baldur's Gate II Enhanced Edition there is a way of gaining a type of Bag of Holding early in the game, called Dragomir's Respite. First you need to get Hexxat (Thief) in your party by agreeing to go to Dragomir's Tomb. Hexxat is inside The Copper Coronet in The Slums. Dragomir's Tomb is through a secret door inside the first tomb on the right, from the southern entrance to the Graveyard. When you have finished the tomb but before you leave, you can persuade her to join you. If you are nice to her when she re-joins, you will gain Dragomir's Respite (a bag of holding) to keep even if you don't keep her in your party.

Remember to sell Drow items before you leave the Underdark, otherwise the items will be destroyed once daylight hits them.

You can safely store things in the wall, outside Armourer/Fletcher, in Waukeen's Promenade. Make sure that you take anything you want once you return to Athkatla in chapter 6, as when you leave you won't be back. Also, complete any quests and get Cromwell to make any items before leaving.

Gaining gold pieces and spending them

When selling for the first time, group same items (eg, all long swords) in one person's backpack as they usually sell for more that way. Also, it pays to sell at different places as you may get a better price.

Before pickpocketing, make sure you save because if you fail they will turn red and may attack you. If so, you will never be able to talk to them again and if it's a merchant you won't have access to their items for sale.

Sell expensive items at the Shadow Thieves' Guild, large building in the Docks district near the exit. That way your Thief or Bard can then steal them back and resell. Your thief needs skill in pickpocketting but there are some gloves in The Copper Coronet to help you with this. A bard, such as Haer Dalis, can also pick pockets and use the gloves.

For a price, Cromwell in the Docks District can turn pieces of things into decent weapons and armour; visit him and he will tell you what else you need. Some of the pieces will be found after going on the ship, but fear not you will come back to Athkatla later. The recipes are here

There is a merchant called Deidre (upstairs in Adventurer's Mart, Waukeen's Promenade) who sells decent items that are worth saving up for.

In the enhanced edition of Baldur's Gate II, in the Red Wizards Enclave in Waukeen's Promenade there are a few merchants there selling various magical items which are worth buying. It's part of the Hidden Refuge quest which will be marked on your map.

In the enhanced edition of Baldur's Gate II, there is a merchant called Joluv inside The Copper Coronet in The Slums. They sell good items from Icewind Dale, which are worth saving up for.

Throne of Bhaal

Although Watcher's Keep is part of Throne of Bhaal expansion you can start it before then. I recommend you do as there are fabulous weapons and items to be had. Some of them are bought from the person outside the actual keep (upstairs).

Don't lose the wardstones etc for Watcher's Keep as you won't get back in without them

When you've done a bit of the expansion you will have the special ability to go to your Pocket Plane. I recommend you do so every so often, as Cespenar turns various components into fabulous items (for a fair bit of gold). I've compiled a list for you here

You can go to the pocket plane whenever you wish (your character has the special ability). You can safely store things in the containers and you can also rest there.

If you wish to change your party once you get into the pocket plane, you can do so. You can summon all the adventurers in Baldur's Gate II. When they join you, they will level up so they won't be too far behind.