This thread is to document all of the glitches, exploits, tricks, and other assorted tactics that people have discovered over the years. Mostly I want to document the weirder tricks, the ones that the average player wouldn't encounter in their first one or two or five playthroughs.
If you've found a special trick you're proud of, let me know and I'll add in a new entry. Even if you weren't the first to discover a trick, but just found it independently, go ahead and bring it up! And if you happen to know where the trick was first mentioned, please give me a link so I can add it in. And if I made a mistake somewhere, let me know and I'll correct it.
I'm sure many of the older tricks will never have confirmed authors, but I'd like to have citations for as many of these tricks as possible. I'll put "Unknown" in front if there's a list of people who discovered the trick, but it's not clear who was first.
Spider Gnome Trick/Shocking Grasp Trick, documented here
Author: @CrevsDaak, @Saros, @semiticgod (flasher part only)
Brief Description:
By switching to the spider form from Polymorph Self and then using a Shocking Grasp spell put in a Minor Sequencer, any mage can set his or her attacks per round to 4 using any weapon, as Shocking Grasp removes the spider's natural weapon, but does not return the mage to natural form. It works especially well with cleric/mages and Jan Jan's Flasher Master Bruiser Mates, as it cures one of their primary weaknesses: low APR. The high APR actually allows Jan to reliably stun-lock Kangaxx.
As of one of the v2.x updates, the spider gnome trick no longer works in BG2:EE.
Shadowdancer Trick, documented here
Author: @Grum
Brief Description:
You can maintain invisibility indefinitely as a Shadowdancer by manipulating the stealth timer. Use Hide in Plain Sight, then click Detect Traps (or any other button) without actually breaking invisibility. After 6 seconds pass, you will be able to use Hide in Plain Sight again, but you will still be invisible. This allows you to go invisible, wait 6 seconds, backstab, and then go invisible again without ever exposing yourself to attack.
Wand of Lightning Trick, discussed here
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The Wand of Lightning in BG2 (but not BG1 or SoD) fires 6 lightning bolts with up to 6 different targets. You can duplicate the effects of any on-self spell or item by targeting the caster with all 6 lightning bolts, then immediately ordering the character to cast the spell in question. Instead of firing 6 lightning bolts, the character will cast the spell 6 times while only using a single spell slot. This only works with spells that are on-self by default, like Sunfire and Mordenkainen's Sword; not Fireball or Animate Dead.
This can also be used with any quick item: choose 6 targets with the Wand of Lightning, then go to the inventory screen and swap the Wand of Lightning for another item.
If you use to turn pages in the Book of Daily Spell, you'll get 6 copies of the next page, allowing you to duplicate the book (unless you hit the Burning Hands page on the first try).
As @sluckers has noted, it's also possible to use the Wand of Lightning trick to target things from all the way across the map by dedicating one of the six targets to a container or item on the ground.
Scorcher Loop, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can multiply the effects of an Agannazar's Scorcher spell (or a Lance of Disruption in IWD:EE) by having two mages cast (Minor) Spell Turning and then casting Agannazar's Scorcher from one to another. The spell turning effect will bounce the scorcher multiple times until it is exhausted. Spells in sequencer strike as a single spell, so putting three scorchers in a Spell Sequencer and combining it with two mages with Spell Turning will deal about 800 damage. Wands of Fire also work.
The spell is extremely party-unfriendly, and both mages will suffer fire damage if they are not immune (note that MGOI will block the damage, but also cancel the loop).
The Ring of Energy will also work, but only in the vanilla games, as EE has made the Ring of Energy's damage a level 0 effect.
In IWD:EE, you can actually lower enemy fire resistance using the level 3 priest spell Protection from Fire, which sets fire resistance to 80%.
Death Ray Zorcher, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can multiply the effects of the scorcher loop even further by combining it with the Wand of Lightning Trick. Have two characters chain-cast Spell Turning using the Wand of Lightning trick and either the Spell Turning page of the Book of Daily Spell, or a Spell Turning scroll. Then have a third character cast Agannazar's Scorcher across both of them. The loop will strike 10,000 times over several rounds, enough to kill any enemy that is not immune to fire or level 2 spells. Testing killed Adalon in Legacy of Bhaal mode in just over a second.
This can also be done by using the Reflect Magic HLA from the Wizard Slayer Rebalancing mod.
Song Stacking
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Bard songs stack with themselves. By casting multiple Mislead spells and having each Mislead clone sing a song, you can stack the bonuses for the entire party. This works best with Skalds and the Enhanced Bard Song.
One of the EE updates removed this trick, as the songs no longer stack (though songs of two different types may still stack).
Lingering Song Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
In Icewind Dale 2, the Lingering Song trick lets a bard's song continue for 2 rounds after being activated. This allows you to repeatedly click the bard song icon and stack the effects of any song while the game is still paused. The effects scale infinitely, except for the damage bonus from the Ballad of Three Heroes, which is capped at +20.
Mislead Backstabs
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Any character under the effects of Mislead is counted as constantly invisible for the purposes of backstabbing. Thus, a Misled character can backstab multiple times in a single round, so long as the target does not turn around.
Also, if you send the Mislead clone to a safe place (Maze does not count), enemies will not be able to kill it, and so your Misled character will remain completely undetectable, except to enemies who naturally see through invisibility like liches, demons, and dragons, for the duration of the spell.
Icewind Dale Haste Trick, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, haste effects actually reduced the character's round time from 6 seconds to 3 seconds. This means that hasted characters in the original game not only attack twice as many times every 6 seconds; they also activate bard songs twice as often (granting double the bonuses each round, or allowing you to sing two different songs within the same round) and even cast two spells in the same round.
Outside of Icewind Dale, in the BG saga, haste still speeds up speed timers, allowing blind thieves and Shadowdancers to backstab twice per round. But this can also prevent backstabbing by speeding up the time it takes for a thief to become visible again.
Righteous Wrath of the Faithful Trick
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful stacks with itself, granting +1 APR to characters with the same alignment as the caster. Combined with haste effects (only possible by casting Haste and RWF in the right order, or using Oils of Speed), and any party with a uniform alignment can attain 10 APR with large damage bonuses. If the party is composed entirely of gnomish cleric/illusionists, they can also attain immunity to RWF's crippling fatigue penalties by each donning a copy of the Helm of the Trusted Defender sold in Kuldahar. Level 15 druids are also immune to fatigue by default.
Clone Quick Items Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clones from spells such as Project Image and Simulacrum, or items such as Vhailor's Helm, can use any quick items the caster had equipped at the time of casting. Any items the clone uses will not use up charges on the original character. This means you can use rare items such as Protection from Magic scrolls once per day for every casting of Simulacrum or Project Image. Protection from Magic scrolls can be used on enemies to disable spellcasting; they work very well on the many enemy mages of BG2.
Clone Traps
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The trap limit of 7 traps per map does not apply to clones. Project Image and Simulacrum clones can lay an unlimited number of traps on any map.
Clone Summons
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The summon limit of 5 summoned critters per map does not apply to clones. Project Image and Simulacrum clones can summon an unlimited number of critters in any area. This also allows you to summon multiple Devas or Planetars, bypassing the celestial summon limit of 1.
Clone Innate Abilities
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clones can use any innate ability the caster possesses at the time of casting. A level 10 clone may still use all of the original level 20 character's HLAs, and a character under the effects of Polymorph Self or Shapechange will generate a clone that can also use those shapeshifting abilities. If a Project Image clone shapeshifts, it can even attack while shapeshifted, which Project Image clones are not supposed to be able to do.
Restoring Clones
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Casting Restoration on a Simulacrum clone will bump it up to the original caster's level. In the case of sorcerers, it will even give the clone the same spell slots as the caster.
In EE, clones are immune to restoration and this trick no longer works. They are also, however, immune to level drain.
Spell Trap Trick, documented here
Author: Unknown, @semiticgod (Black Blade of Disaster part only)
Brief Description:
Spell Trap can be used to gain an infinite number of spells per day by using level 9 effects against the caster. A Project Image clone can cast level 7 and level 9 spells to restore the original caster's spells. For a Simulacrum clone to be able to do the same thing, it would have to be level 18, which means only a level 35 mage (impossible without removing the XP cap) could do the same using Simulacrum instead of Project Image. Black Blade of Disaster also strikes as a level 9 spell for each hit.
Limited Wish-resting
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Wild Mages can use Nahal's Reckless Dweomer to cast Limited Wish. Limited Wish allows a caster with high Wisdom to restore spell slots: 1 spell for each level from 1 to 4. If the Wild Mage has no empty level 4 spell slots, it will restore a level 3 spell slot instead. With no empty spell slots, a single Limited Wish, generated from a single Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, can restore 4 level 1 spells slots, allowing a Wild Mage to cast spells indefinitely, provided it does not suffer a wild surge that breaks the loop.
Talk-blocking
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clicking on a neutral character will cause the character to turn to you and wait for you to speak with it. It will not take any other action for several seconds even if you order your character to do something else, so you can click on neutral characters to prevent them from talking to you, or even prevent them from defending themselves when you attack them.
Shapechange Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Killing a character under the effects of Shapechange, resting, and then resurrecting the character will preserve the shapeshifting abilities from Shapechange. Thus, any character who can cast Shapechange at least once can retain the abilities permanently, except for the main character, who cannot be killed without ending the game. An early way to cast Shapechange is to use the one-time-only Limited Wish Shapechange option. You can also use CTRL-R to preserve the effects, though this requires using the console.
Note that you can backstab using the Iron Golem's attack, which deals 4d10 base damage.
This trick no longer works in the current version of the Enhanced Edition. There is, however, a complicated workaround here.
Potion Swap Glitch, documented here
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
You can use any item by right-clicking a potion in the inventory, clicking "Drink Potion," and then quickly switching the potion out for another item. This would allow a mage to use a Potion of Invulnerability or a cleric to use the Dispel Magic ability of Carsomyr.
If you use this glitch on a gem, you can set the gem's count number from 1 to 0. If you do it once more, the gem's count number will underflow and become 65,535. Selling the stack of gems will net tens of thousands at minimum, and can be done quickly and indefinitely. In BG1 and IWD, this can also be done with potions by holding the potion in the inventory screen before the character attempts to drink it. In IWD2, this can also be done to duplicate Oils of Fiery Burning, or any scroll that can be cast on the ground and not just on a living target.
This no longer works in the Enhanced Editions.
Import/Export Trick, documented here
Author: Unknown, @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
In multiplayer mode, you can duplicate items by exporting a character with, say, Celestial Fury, then dropping Celestial Fury, going into Character Arbitration, deleting the character, and importing the character you just exported. The character will have an extra copy of Celestial Fury and can pick up the original from the ground. This can duplicate any item besides containers and quest items, as they cannot be exported.
Ferret Smuggling
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
A ferret or cat familiar can pickpocket party members. If you use it to pickpocket the Rift Device, you can smuggle it out of the sewers without triggering the instant death script and then talk to the familiar to give it back to you. This can also work with drow equipment, which is supposed to disintegrate when you leave the Underdark, but the game does not check the ferret or cat's inventory for the items; only yours.
Slayer Trick, documented here
Author: @Arunsun
Brief Description:
Casting Mirror Image can block the final 1500 magic damage that triggers 44 seconds after entering Slayer form. After surviving that damage, you can maintain Slayer form indefinitely. You can also use the spider gnome trick to remove the Slayer's natural weapon using a Shocking Grasp Minor Sequencer or scroll, or casting Minute Meteors via an EE-exclusive robe. You will then be able to attack using any weapon while still in Slayer form (though you will no longer have the Slayer's immunities to various disabling effects).
One of the 2.x updates removed this trick.
Fire Seed Trick, documented here and here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Weapons that use area-effect projectiles can apply on-hit effects to more than one enemy at a time. This bypasses weapon immunities and all forms of spell protections. Thus, a character can use any of the following weapons:
1. Flasher Master Bruiser Mates (which are completely party-friendly)
2. Fire Seeds
3. Arrows of Detonation
4. Scorcher Ammunition (which strikes twice, as it uses the Agannazar's Scorcher projectile)
5. Frag Grenades
to apply any of the following effects:
1. Wizard Slayer spell failure
2. Power Attack
3. Smite
4. (Greater) Deathblow
5. Poison Weapon
6. Called Shot
to any group of creatures, provided the initial target is not immune to the weapon (throwing a Fire Seed will fail against a mage with PFMW active, but it can hit the mage if you target a nearby character without PFMW).
Infinite Maze Trick
Author: @Alesia_BH, @Alesia_B_H
Brief Description:
A Bounty Hunter can Maze an entire group of enemies using a level 21 Special Snare. This allows the Bounty Hunter to set additional traps while the enemies are gone. When the enemies return--usually one at a time--they will immediately trigger any traps the Bounty Hunter has lain since the first Maze trap. This can be done as long as the Bounty Hunter still has Maze traps.
Lightning Bolt Loop
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
A Lightning Bolt spell can bounce off of both the Cloak of Reflection and the original version of the Cloak of Mirroring. By deleting the Cloak of Mirroring's file in the override folder and restoring the original version, which reflects rather than blocks spell damage (may not be possible in EE), or by using the Import/Export Trick to duplicate the Cloak of Reflection you can bounce a Lightning Bolt spell or Wand of Lightning charges between two party members indefinitely. You can even dedicate multiple charges and add extra lightning bolts to the loop, making it stronger.
Testing has found that the loop can be canceled accidentally due to positioning problems. Testing has also suggested that it is possible to make it impossible for the loop to ever be re-created in a single save game.
It's also possible to bounce a Lightning Bolt spell or wand in a reliable path by pointing it directly north or south in close quarters, as lightning bolts bounce directly backwards if cast north or south. This can be used to reliably hit a single target about 5 times in a narrow hallway. But the EE version of the lightning bolt projectile may behave differently.
Fog of War Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Some enemies will not react if they suffer damage when the player's characters or summons are not in sight. Thus, you can cast Fireball or Cloudkill and so forth without the enemy ever reacting.
I believe this is much less likely to be possible in EE, and should never be possible in a normal SCS install.
Sunfire Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Spells cast on self ignore magic resistance. Thus, a Sunfire spell, which is cast on self by default, will bypass magic resistance on nearby targets, allowing you to deal fire damage to golems and other magic-immune critters.
According to SpaceInvader, this no longer works for Sunfire in EE, but it still applies to other spells.
Hotkey Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Nahal's Reckless Dweomer can be cast by any mage, sorcerer, or bard by mapping it to a hotkey. The hotkey will never deplete spell slots; NRD can be cast an infinite number of times, ignoring aura, as if the caster was under the effects of Improved Alacrity. Wild surges are still possible, so the Wild Mage is still best at this due to the existence of the Chaos Shield spells.
This also works for Chain Contingency, but can also be cast by any druid or cleric as well.
This is no longer possible in EE, as those spells cannot be mapped to hotkeys.
Chaos Shield Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Chaos Shields can stack if they are combined in a Spell Sequencer/Trigger or (Chain) Contingency.
This is no longer possible in EE.
Rod of Terror Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Using the Rod of Terror has a chance of permanently decreasing the user's Charisma by 1, which is fatal when CHA reaches 0. But by wearing the Ring of Human Influence, one can avoid this instant death effect until the character's Charisma underflows up to 25. This 25 Charisma lasts even when the ring is removed.
Testing suggests this is no longer possible in EE.
Quick Save Trick, documented here
Author: @Arctodus
Brief Description:
Loading the game resets the aura and stealth timer of all party members. By quick-saving and then quick-loading, you can cast multiple spells or drink multiple potions within the same round, provided that you are not in combat. This can extend the lifespan of short-duration effects, or allow an Archer to stack Called Shot effects right before combat begins.
Blind Thief Trick, documented here and here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Thieves cannot hide or set traps when enemies are near. However, this only applies to the thief's field of vision. A blind thief has a restricted field of vision and can therefore hide in plain sight like a Shadowdancer or even set traps in the middle of combat, provided that no enemies are directly next to him or her.
Before EE, thieves could hide when blind even when enemies were near, but not set traps. But this may be a testing error.
Combined with the blind thief trick, you can also save or even rest in the presence of enemies, though combat must have ended.
Rejiek Hidesman Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
When you attack Rejiek Hidesman in his home, you get about 29,000 XP when he delivers a few brief lines of dialogue. If you surrounded him with party members before you do this, preventing him from moving, and then repeatedly click him after the dialogue ends but before he can go downstairs, you can get that 29,000 XP over and over again without limit. If you click him too soon, you won't get the XP from the previous dialogue.
I believe this is no longer possible in EE.
Pet Basilisk Strategy/Basilisk XP Loop
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can charm a basilisk using Algernon's Cloak from BG1. If you cast Protection from Petrification on the basilisk after charming it, you can use the pet basilisk to clear out Mutamin's Garden much faster than missile weapons, especially in Legacy of Bhaal mode.
You can also gain even more XP than would normally be possible in Mutamin's Garden using Stone to Flesh scrolls. After clearing out most of the area, charm a Lesser Basilisk (approach from behind and flee if it doesn't work), cast Protection from Petrification on it, and then have it petrify a Greater Basilisk. Then, before the Lesser Basilisk can attack again and shatter the Greater Basilisk, order it to stop and use a Stone to Flesh scroll on the petrified basilisk. You can then re-petrify it for another 7000 XP for every Stone to Flesh scroll you have. You can buy 19 scrolls from the temples at the Friendly Arm Inn and near Beregost for a total of 38 even before you reach Baldur's Gate (where even more scrolls are for sale). It's by far the fastest way of gaining XP in BG1, and requires little money and virtually no risk.
Fire Giant XP Loop, documented here
Author: @Gallowglass, @Caeria
Brief Description
By placing archers close to the walls of Saradush and either use the vanilla game's Guard function or apply the right AI script, you can get your archers to shoot at Fire Giants just beyond the walls, out of sight, and get XP for every kill at no risk.
Summoned Demon Behavior
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Summoned demons ignore the summoning limit. Normally, summoning multiple demons will cause them to turn against each other, but casting Protection from Evil 10' Radius will get them to ignore each other and concentrate on your enemies instead (though they still won't get you XP for their kills).
Invincible Level 1 Tanks, documented here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Level 1 characters cannot die in one hit unless they have 14 HP or higher. Level 1 characters who only have 1 HP therefore cannot die from damage, as the game cannot reduce their HP to any fraction of the total.
This isn't fully reliable, however, and occasionally a level 1 character will die after taking repeated hits.
Black Raven Monastery Trick, documented here and here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
In Heart of Fury mode in Icewind Dale 2, you can give your entire party HoF-style bonuses by saving and then loading while one of the characters is in one of the chambers in the monk trials at the Black Raven Monastery. When you reload that save, everyone but the character taking the test will have +10 to all stats, +12 to all levels, and triple HP plus 80 on top (and maybe some AB, AC, and save bonuses). Characters with levels about 24 or so will also be able to level up one last time, adding about 230 levels to any class they currently have no levels in. It's generally best to choose rogue or monk for this last level up, as these classes grant 230d6 sneak attack damage for the rogue and 50 SR, +10 AC, and Stunning Blow and Quivering Palm abilities with save DC's over 100, granting a 95% success rate for each one.
There is no way to make these bonuses stack.
Resilient Sphere Trick, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Barbarian rage makes the Barbarian immune to opcode 185, the opcode that makes Otiluke's Resilient Sphere paralyze its target. Barbarians can get the defensive benefits of Resilient Sphere while still being able to attack. Testing found, however, that the Barbarian didn't always get all of the benefits; only some.
Remove Curse Trick, documented here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Remove Curse can be cast on enemies with cursed items, who will immediately drop the item. This can be used to weaken characters such as Kontik, Brage, and Smaeluv Orcslicer.
Universal Stealth Trick
Author: @Iroumen
Brief Description:
By mapping stealth to a hotkey, any character can attempt to hide in shadows, though characters who are not thieves, rangers, and monks will have poor stealth scores.
Armored Casting Trick, documented here
Author: @Gotural
Brief Description:
Mages wearing armor can still cast spells if they do so via a hotkey.
Extra Speed Weapons, documented here
Author: @Artemius_I
Brief Description:
In the most recent version of EE, throwing daggers can be dual-wielded provided that the throwing dagger is kept in the main hand. Since throwing daggers grant +1 APR even when used as melee weapons, they function as additional speed weapons alongside Belm, Kundane, and the Ninja-to of the Scarlet Brotherhood. @Grum
Before EE, there was another speed weapon: the Shadow Thief Dagger, which you can only get by siding with Bodhi and opting for the "unseemly task" for your second assignment, and which you can only keep by returning to Bodhi to report that you spared the target's life. The Shadow Thief Dagger (STD) sets your APR to 2 rather than increasing it by 1, so it's especially effective in the hands of Project Image clones, but it gets no Strength bonus. However, unlike other speed weapons, it is nonmagical and can bypass PFMW.
Hexxat Stun Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Hexxat is immune to nearly all disablers except for Power Word: Stun. The effect interferes with her mist form script, so you can hit her with PW: Stun while she's wounded and she will remain stunned but still invincible thanks to her MINHP1 item.
Potion of Power Trick, documented here
Author: @Arctodus
Brief Description:
If you drink multiple potions of power, the HP bonus, if not the THAC0 bonus, will stack indefinitely. Warriors can get hundreds of HP this way, though the bonuses can be dispelled, and Potions of Power are rare. This should be cumulative with the Wand of Lightning trick.
If you've found a special trick you're proud of, let me know and I'll add in a new entry. Even if you weren't the first to discover a trick, but just found it independently, go ahead and bring it up! And if you happen to know where the trick was first mentioned, please give me a link so I can add it in. And if I made a mistake somewhere, let me know and I'll correct it.
I'm sure many of the older tricks will never have confirmed authors, but I'd like to have citations for as many of these tricks as possible. I'll put "Unknown" in front if there's a list of people who discovered the trick, but it's not clear who was first.
Spider Gnome Trick/Shocking Grasp Trick, documented here
Author: @CrevsDaak, @Saros, @semiticgod (flasher part only)
Brief Description:
By switching to the spider form from Polymorph Self and then using a Shocking Grasp spell put in a Minor Sequencer, any mage can set his or her attacks per round to 4 using any weapon, as Shocking Grasp removes the spider's natural weapon, but does not return the mage to natural form. It works especially well with cleric/mages and Jan Jan's Flasher Master Bruiser Mates, as it cures one of their primary weaknesses: low APR. The high APR actually allows Jan to reliably stun-lock Kangaxx.
As of one of the v2.x updates, the spider gnome trick no longer works in BG2:EE.
Shadowdancer Trick, documented here
Author: @Grum
Brief Description:
You can maintain invisibility indefinitely as a Shadowdancer by manipulating the stealth timer. Use Hide in Plain Sight, then click Detect Traps (or any other button) without actually breaking invisibility. After 6 seconds pass, you will be able to use Hide in Plain Sight again, but you will still be invisible. This allows you to go invisible, wait 6 seconds, backstab, and then go invisible again without ever exposing yourself to attack.
Wand of Lightning Trick, discussed here
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The Wand of Lightning in BG2 (but not BG1 or SoD) fires 6 lightning bolts with up to 6 different targets. You can duplicate the effects of any on-self spell or item by targeting the caster with all 6 lightning bolts, then immediately ordering the character to cast the spell in question. Instead of firing 6 lightning bolts, the character will cast the spell 6 times while only using a single spell slot. This only works with spells that are on-self by default, like Sunfire and Mordenkainen's Sword; not Fireball or Animate Dead.
This can also be used with any quick item: choose 6 targets with the Wand of Lightning, then go to the inventory screen and swap the Wand of Lightning for another item.
If you use to turn pages in the Book of Daily Spell, you'll get 6 copies of the next page, allowing you to duplicate the book (unless you hit the Burning Hands page on the first try).
As @sluckers has noted, it's also possible to use the Wand of Lightning trick to target things from all the way across the map by dedicating one of the six targets to a container or item on the ground.
Scorcher Loop, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can multiply the effects of an Agannazar's Scorcher spell (or a Lance of Disruption in IWD:EE) by having two mages cast (Minor) Spell Turning and then casting Agannazar's Scorcher from one to another. The spell turning effect will bounce the scorcher multiple times until it is exhausted. Spells in sequencer strike as a single spell, so putting three scorchers in a Spell Sequencer and combining it with two mages with Spell Turning will deal about 800 damage. Wands of Fire also work.
The spell is extremely party-unfriendly, and both mages will suffer fire damage if they are not immune (note that MGOI will block the damage, but also cancel the loop).
The Ring of Energy will also work, but only in the vanilla games, as EE has made the Ring of Energy's damage a level 0 effect.
In IWD:EE, you can actually lower enemy fire resistance using the level 3 priest spell Protection from Fire, which sets fire resistance to 80%.
Death Ray Zorcher, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can multiply the effects of the scorcher loop even further by combining it with the Wand of Lightning Trick. Have two characters chain-cast Spell Turning using the Wand of Lightning trick and either the Spell Turning page of the Book of Daily Spell, or a Spell Turning scroll. Then have a third character cast Agannazar's Scorcher across both of them. The loop will strike 10,000 times over several rounds, enough to kill any enemy that is not immune to fire or level 2 spells. Testing killed Adalon in Legacy of Bhaal mode in just over a second.
This can also be done by using the Reflect Magic HLA from the Wizard Slayer Rebalancing mod.
Song Stacking
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Bard songs stack with themselves. By casting multiple Mislead spells and having each Mislead clone sing a song, you can stack the bonuses for the entire party. This works best with Skalds and the Enhanced Bard Song.
One of the EE updates removed this trick, as the songs no longer stack (though songs of two different types may still stack).
Lingering Song Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
In Icewind Dale 2, the Lingering Song trick lets a bard's song continue for 2 rounds after being activated. This allows you to repeatedly click the bard song icon and stack the effects of any song while the game is still paused. The effects scale infinitely, except for the damage bonus from the Ballad of Three Heroes, which is capped at +20.
Mislead Backstabs
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Any character under the effects of Mislead is counted as constantly invisible for the purposes of backstabbing. Thus, a Misled character can backstab multiple times in a single round, so long as the target does not turn around.
Also, if you send the Mislead clone to a safe place (Maze does not count), enemies will not be able to kill it, and so your Misled character will remain completely undetectable, except to enemies who naturally see through invisibility like liches, demons, and dragons, for the duration of the spell.
Icewind Dale Haste Trick, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, haste effects actually reduced the character's round time from 6 seconds to 3 seconds. This means that hasted characters in the original game not only attack twice as many times every 6 seconds; they also activate bard songs twice as often (granting double the bonuses each round, or allowing you to sing two different songs within the same round) and even cast two spells in the same round.
Outside of Icewind Dale, in the BG saga, haste still speeds up speed timers, allowing blind thieves and Shadowdancers to backstab twice per round. But this can also prevent backstabbing by speeding up the time it takes for a thief to become visible again.
Righteous Wrath of the Faithful Trick
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
In the original Icewind Dale, before the Enhanced Edition, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful stacks with itself, granting +1 APR to characters with the same alignment as the caster. Combined with haste effects (only possible by casting Haste and RWF in the right order, or using Oils of Speed), and any party with a uniform alignment can attain 10 APR with large damage bonuses. If the party is composed entirely of gnomish cleric/illusionists, they can also attain immunity to RWF's crippling fatigue penalties by each donning a copy of the Helm of the Trusted Defender sold in Kuldahar. Level 15 druids are also immune to fatigue by default.
Clone Quick Items Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clones from spells such as Project Image and Simulacrum, or items such as Vhailor's Helm, can use any quick items the caster had equipped at the time of casting. Any items the clone uses will not use up charges on the original character. This means you can use rare items such as Protection from Magic scrolls once per day for every casting of Simulacrum or Project Image. Protection from Magic scrolls can be used on enemies to disable spellcasting; they work very well on the many enemy mages of BG2.
Clone Traps
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The trap limit of 7 traps per map does not apply to clones. Project Image and Simulacrum clones can lay an unlimited number of traps on any map.
Clone Summons
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
The summon limit of 5 summoned critters per map does not apply to clones. Project Image and Simulacrum clones can summon an unlimited number of critters in any area. This also allows you to summon multiple Devas or Planetars, bypassing the celestial summon limit of 1.
Clone Innate Abilities
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clones can use any innate ability the caster possesses at the time of casting. A level 10 clone may still use all of the original level 20 character's HLAs, and a character under the effects of Polymorph Self or Shapechange will generate a clone that can also use those shapeshifting abilities. If a Project Image clone shapeshifts, it can even attack while shapeshifted, which Project Image clones are not supposed to be able to do.
Restoring Clones
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Casting Restoration on a Simulacrum clone will bump it up to the original caster's level. In the case of sorcerers, it will even give the clone the same spell slots as the caster.
In EE, clones are immune to restoration and this trick no longer works. They are also, however, immune to level drain.
Spell Trap Trick, documented here
Author: Unknown, @semiticgod (Black Blade of Disaster part only)
Brief Description:
Spell Trap can be used to gain an infinite number of spells per day by using level 9 effects against the caster. A Project Image clone can cast level 7 and level 9 spells to restore the original caster's spells. For a Simulacrum clone to be able to do the same thing, it would have to be level 18, which means only a level 35 mage (impossible without removing the XP cap) could do the same using Simulacrum instead of Project Image. Black Blade of Disaster also strikes as a level 9 spell for each hit.
Limited Wish-resting
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Wild Mages can use Nahal's Reckless Dweomer to cast Limited Wish. Limited Wish allows a caster with high Wisdom to restore spell slots: 1 spell for each level from 1 to 4. If the Wild Mage has no empty level 4 spell slots, it will restore a level 3 spell slot instead. With no empty spell slots, a single Limited Wish, generated from a single Nahal's Reckless Dweomer, can restore 4 level 1 spells slots, allowing a Wild Mage to cast spells indefinitely, provided it does not suffer a wild surge that breaks the loop.
Talk-blocking
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Clicking on a neutral character will cause the character to turn to you and wait for you to speak with it. It will not take any other action for several seconds even if you order your character to do something else, so you can click on neutral characters to prevent them from talking to you, or even prevent them from defending themselves when you attack them.
Shapechange Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Killing a character under the effects of Shapechange, resting, and then resurrecting the character will preserve the shapeshifting abilities from Shapechange. Thus, any character who can cast Shapechange at least once can retain the abilities permanently, except for the main character, who cannot be killed without ending the game. An early way to cast Shapechange is to use the one-time-only Limited Wish Shapechange option. You can also use CTRL-R to preserve the effects, though this requires using the console.
Note that you can backstab using the Iron Golem's attack, which deals 4d10 base damage.
This trick no longer works in the current version of the Enhanced Edition. There is, however, a complicated workaround here.
Potion Swap Glitch, documented here
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
You can use any item by right-clicking a potion in the inventory, clicking "Drink Potion," and then quickly switching the potion out for another item. This would allow a mage to use a Potion of Invulnerability or a cleric to use the Dispel Magic ability of Carsomyr.
If you use this glitch on a gem, you can set the gem's count number from 1 to 0. If you do it once more, the gem's count number will underflow and become 65,535. Selling the stack of gems will net tens of thousands at minimum, and can be done quickly and indefinitely. In BG1 and IWD, this can also be done with potions by holding the potion in the inventory screen before the character attempts to drink it. In IWD2, this can also be done to duplicate Oils of Fiery Burning, or any scroll that can be cast on the ground and not just on a living target.
This no longer works in the Enhanced Editions.
Import/Export Trick, documented here
Author: Unknown, @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
In multiplayer mode, you can duplicate items by exporting a character with, say, Celestial Fury, then dropping Celestial Fury, going into Character Arbitration, deleting the character, and importing the character you just exported. The character will have an extra copy of Celestial Fury and can pick up the original from the ground. This can duplicate any item besides containers and quest items, as they cannot be exported.
Ferret Smuggling
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
A ferret or cat familiar can pickpocket party members. If you use it to pickpocket the Rift Device, you can smuggle it out of the sewers without triggering the instant death script and then talk to the familiar to give it back to you. This can also work with drow equipment, which is supposed to disintegrate when you leave the Underdark, but the game does not check the ferret or cat's inventory for the items; only yours.
Slayer Trick, documented here
Author: @Arunsun
Brief Description:
Casting Mirror Image can block the final 1500 magic damage that triggers 44 seconds after entering Slayer form. After surviving that damage, you can maintain Slayer form indefinitely. You can also use the spider gnome trick to remove the Slayer's natural weapon using a Shocking Grasp Minor Sequencer or scroll, or casting Minute Meteors via an EE-exclusive robe. You will then be able to attack using any weapon while still in Slayer form (though you will no longer have the Slayer's immunities to various disabling effects).
One of the 2.x updates removed this trick.
Fire Seed Trick, documented here and here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Weapons that use area-effect projectiles can apply on-hit effects to more than one enemy at a time. This bypasses weapon immunities and all forms of spell protections. Thus, a character can use any of the following weapons:
1. Flasher Master Bruiser Mates (which are completely party-friendly)
2. Fire Seeds
3. Arrows of Detonation
4. Scorcher Ammunition (which strikes twice, as it uses the Agannazar's Scorcher projectile)
5. Frag Grenades
to apply any of the following effects:
1. Wizard Slayer spell failure
2. Power Attack
3. Smite
4. (Greater) Deathblow
5. Poison Weapon
6. Called Shot
to any group of creatures, provided the initial target is not immune to the weapon (throwing a Fire Seed will fail against a mage with PFMW active, but it can hit the mage if you target a nearby character without PFMW).
Infinite Maze Trick
Author: @Alesia_BH, @Alesia_B_H
Brief Description:
A Bounty Hunter can Maze an entire group of enemies using a level 21 Special Snare. This allows the Bounty Hunter to set additional traps while the enemies are gone. When the enemies return--usually one at a time--they will immediately trigger any traps the Bounty Hunter has lain since the first Maze trap. This can be done as long as the Bounty Hunter still has Maze traps.
Lightning Bolt Loop
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
A Lightning Bolt spell can bounce off of both the Cloak of Reflection and the original version of the Cloak of Mirroring. By deleting the Cloak of Mirroring's file in the override folder and restoring the original version, which reflects rather than blocks spell damage (may not be possible in EE), or by using the Import/Export Trick to duplicate the Cloak of Reflection you can bounce a Lightning Bolt spell or Wand of Lightning charges between two party members indefinitely. You can even dedicate multiple charges and add extra lightning bolts to the loop, making it stronger.
Testing has found that the loop can be canceled accidentally due to positioning problems. Testing has also suggested that it is possible to make it impossible for the loop to ever be re-created in a single save game.
It's also possible to bounce a Lightning Bolt spell or wand in a reliable path by pointing it directly north or south in close quarters, as lightning bolts bounce directly backwards if cast north or south. This can be used to reliably hit a single target about 5 times in a narrow hallway. But the EE version of the lightning bolt projectile may behave differently.
Fog of War Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Some enemies will not react if they suffer damage when the player's characters or summons are not in sight. Thus, you can cast Fireball or Cloudkill and so forth without the enemy ever reacting.
I believe this is much less likely to be possible in EE, and should never be possible in a normal SCS install.
Sunfire Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Spells cast on self ignore magic resistance. Thus, a Sunfire spell, which is cast on self by default, will bypass magic resistance on nearby targets, allowing you to deal fire damage to golems and other magic-immune critters.
According to SpaceInvader, this no longer works for Sunfire in EE, but it still applies to other spells.
Hotkey Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Nahal's Reckless Dweomer can be cast by any mage, sorcerer, or bard by mapping it to a hotkey. The hotkey will never deplete spell slots; NRD can be cast an infinite number of times, ignoring aura, as if the caster was under the effects of Improved Alacrity. Wild surges are still possible, so the Wild Mage is still best at this due to the existence of the Chaos Shield spells.
This also works for Chain Contingency, but can also be cast by any druid or cleric as well.
This is no longer possible in EE, as those spells cannot be mapped to hotkeys.
Chaos Shield Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Chaos Shields can stack if they are combined in a Spell Sequencer/Trigger or (Chain) Contingency.
This is no longer possible in EE.
Rod of Terror Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Using the Rod of Terror has a chance of permanently decreasing the user's Charisma by 1, which is fatal when CHA reaches 0. But by wearing the Ring of Human Influence, one can avoid this instant death effect until the character's Charisma underflows up to 25. This 25 Charisma lasts even when the ring is removed.
Testing suggests this is no longer possible in EE.
Quick Save Trick, documented here
Author: @Arctodus
Brief Description:
Loading the game resets the aura and stealth timer of all party members. By quick-saving and then quick-loading, you can cast multiple spells or drink multiple potions within the same round, provided that you are not in combat. This can extend the lifespan of short-duration effects, or allow an Archer to stack Called Shot effects right before combat begins.
Blind Thief Trick, documented here and here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Thieves cannot hide or set traps when enemies are near. However, this only applies to the thief's field of vision. A blind thief has a restricted field of vision and can therefore hide in plain sight like a Shadowdancer or even set traps in the middle of combat, provided that no enemies are directly next to him or her.
Before EE, thieves could hide when blind even when enemies were near, but not set traps. But this may be a testing error.
Combined with the blind thief trick, you can also save or even rest in the presence of enemies, though combat must have ended.
Rejiek Hidesman Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
When you attack Rejiek Hidesman in his home, you get about 29,000 XP when he delivers a few brief lines of dialogue. If you surrounded him with party members before you do this, preventing him from moving, and then repeatedly click him after the dialogue ends but before he can go downstairs, you can get that 29,000 XP over and over again without limit. If you click him too soon, you won't get the XP from the previous dialogue.
I believe this is no longer possible in EE.
Pet Basilisk Strategy/Basilisk XP Loop
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
You can charm a basilisk using Algernon's Cloak from BG1. If you cast Protection from Petrification on the basilisk after charming it, you can use the pet basilisk to clear out Mutamin's Garden much faster than missile weapons, especially in Legacy of Bhaal mode.
You can also gain even more XP than would normally be possible in Mutamin's Garden using Stone to Flesh scrolls. After clearing out most of the area, charm a Lesser Basilisk (approach from behind and flee if it doesn't work), cast Protection from Petrification on it, and then have it petrify a Greater Basilisk. Then, before the Lesser Basilisk can attack again and shatter the Greater Basilisk, order it to stop and use a Stone to Flesh scroll on the petrified basilisk. You can then re-petrify it for another 7000 XP for every Stone to Flesh scroll you have. You can buy 19 scrolls from the temples at the Friendly Arm Inn and near Beregost for a total of 38 even before you reach Baldur's Gate (where even more scrolls are for sale). It's by far the fastest way of gaining XP in BG1, and requires little money and virtually no risk.
Fire Giant XP Loop, documented here
Author: @Gallowglass, @Caeria
Brief Description
By placing archers close to the walls of Saradush and either use the vanilla game's Guard function or apply the right AI script, you can get your archers to shoot at Fire Giants just beyond the walls, out of sight, and get XP for every kill at no risk.
Summoned Demon Behavior
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Summoned demons ignore the summoning limit. Normally, summoning multiple demons will cause them to turn against each other, but casting Protection from Evil 10' Radius will get them to ignore each other and concentrate on your enemies instead (though they still won't get you XP for their kills).
Invincible Level 1 Tanks, documented here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Level 1 characters cannot die in one hit unless they have 14 HP or higher. Level 1 characters who only have 1 HP therefore cannot die from damage, as the game cannot reduce their HP to any fraction of the total.
This isn't fully reliable, however, and occasionally a level 1 character will die after taking repeated hits.
Black Raven Monastery Trick, documented here and here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
In Heart of Fury mode in Icewind Dale 2, you can give your entire party HoF-style bonuses by saving and then loading while one of the characters is in one of the chambers in the monk trials at the Black Raven Monastery. When you reload that save, everyone but the character taking the test will have +10 to all stats, +12 to all levels, and triple HP plus 80 on top (and maybe some AB, AC, and save bonuses). Characters with levels about 24 or so will also be able to level up one last time, adding about 230 levels to any class they currently have no levels in. It's generally best to choose rogue or monk for this last level up, as these classes grant 230d6 sneak attack damage for the rogue and 50 SR, +10 AC, and Stunning Blow and Quivering Palm abilities with save DC's over 100, granting a 95% success rate for each one.
There is no way to make these bonuses stack.
Resilient Sphere Trick, documented here
Author: @semiticgod
Brief Description:
Barbarian rage makes the Barbarian immune to opcode 185, the opcode that makes Otiluke's Resilient Sphere paralyze its target. Barbarians can get the defensive benefits of Resilient Sphere while still being able to attack. Testing found, however, that the Barbarian didn't always get all of the benefits; only some.
Remove Curse Trick, documented here
Author: @OlvynChuru
Brief Description:
Remove Curse can be cast on enemies with cursed items, who will immediately drop the item. This can be used to weaken characters such as Kontik, Brage, and Smaeluv Orcslicer.
Universal Stealth Trick
Author: @Iroumen
Brief Description:
By mapping stealth to a hotkey, any character can attempt to hide in shadows, though characters who are not thieves, rangers, and monks will have poor stealth scores.
Armored Casting Trick, documented here
Author: @Gotural
Brief Description:
Mages wearing armor can still cast spells if they do so via a hotkey.
Extra Speed Weapons, documented here
Author: @Artemius_I
Brief Description:
In the most recent version of EE, throwing daggers can be dual-wielded provided that the throwing dagger is kept in the main hand. Since throwing daggers grant +1 APR even when used as melee weapons, they function as additional speed weapons alongside Belm, Kundane, and the Ninja-to of the Scarlet Brotherhood. @Grum
Before EE, there was another speed weapon: the Shadow Thief Dagger, which you can only get by siding with Bodhi and opting for the "unseemly task" for your second assignment, and which you can only keep by returning to Bodhi to report that you spared the target's life. The Shadow Thief Dagger (STD) sets your APR to 2 rather than increasing it by 1, so it's especially effective in the hands of Project Image clones, but it gets no Strength bonus. However, unlike other speed weapons, it is nonmagical and can bypass PFMW.
Hexxat Stun Trick
Author: Unknown
Brief Description:
Hexxat is immune to nearly all disablers except for Power Word: Stun. The effect interferes with her mist form script, so you can hit her with PW: Stun while she's wounded and she will remain stunned but still invincible thanks to her MINHP1 item.
Potion of Power Trick, documented here
Author: @Arctodus
Brief Description:
If you drink multiple potions of power, the HP bonus, if not the THAC0 bonus, will stack indefinitely. Warriors can get hundreds of HP this way, though the bonuses can be dispelled, and Potions of Power are rare. This should be cumulative with the Wand of Lightning trick.
