Vintage games aren’t just popular because of nostalgia. For fans of the originals, it’s interesting to see some of the extra features and improvements. New fans can experience all the thrills of the old game but on polished, modern tech with better graphics and gameplay. RPG games exploded on video in the late 1990s, with the Baldur’s Gate franchise representing the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
News has reached the gaming world of the impending release of Baldur’s Gate 3, and while RPG gamers struggle to find ways to bide the time until then, many are enjoying the vintage games in the form of Baldur’s Gate Enhanced. The second installment in the series, Shadows of Amn, included several items from the first game in the original installment. In addition to that, writers and programmers have added a few interesting new shiny goodies for brave adventurers.
10 Legacy: The Flail of Ages
This is why players roll a fighter with a flail proficiency as the protagonist, especially if you’re a Barbarian, Monk, or a certain type of dual or multi-classed Fighter.
Players can choose which quests to do and when, but players of these classes can take control of the D’Arnise Keep after they liberate it. Since it’s a +3 weapon that deals fire and acid damage, the flail is handy for killing tough monsters like higher-level golems and trolls.
9 New: The Brick
It’s actually a brick tied to a stick. Really. This weapon is classified officially as a hammer that functions as a thrown or melee weapon.
It was enchanted by a wild Mage named Reginald and its main advantage is a spellcasting interrupt. You can only acquire The Brick by visiting Neera’s Hidden Refuge, which is only available in the Enhanced version of the game.
8 Legacy: The Sword of Chaos
Those who played the original Baldur’s Gate will recognize the Sword of Chaos immediately. This two-handed blade is the sword of Sarevok, another child of Bhaal and the main villain of the original game. The players acquire it by helping a genie escape Irenicus’ dungeon.
This weapon has impressive speed and damage ability, but its real power is in the way it drains hit points. Every time the wielder strikes a target, one point of health is transferred to them from the enemy.
7 New: Arrow of Dispelling
Just when you thought the bow skill of Mazzy Fenton couldn’t get any more lethal, the expansion brought in the Arrow of Dispelling. They not only dispel magical effects but can damage a target that’s normally immune to magical weapons.
How does that work? The arrows are magical but not enchanted, hence the loophole, and can be found in various locations in the Enhanced games. They can also be used on party members to remove a detrimental magical effect if needed.
6 Legacy: Frostreaver
Another weapon hiding in the D’Arnise Hold, this one-handed ax is one of the first +3 weapons players acquire in the game.
If you’ve got Korgen in your party, he’s the obvious choice to wield it, with no less than five proficiency slots with this type of weapon. According to the lore, it was originally the property of a Frost Giant. Frostreaver was buried with him, and it’s never revealed how it ended up in Nalia’s Keep.
5 New: Cloak of Dragomir
One of the interesting features of the Enhanced version of Baldur’s Gate is the addition of some new companions. One of them is the vampire, Hexxat, who is accessible after taking on another companion with a specific quest.
Unless your party plans to travel only at night, the Cloak of Dragomir is indispensable. Found in the tomb of Dragomir and part of a quest connected to Hexxat, this cloak protects a vampire from sunlight, making it possible for them to walk around in the daytime.
4 Legacy: Carsomyr
There’s only one Paladin in the game that you can have as a companion, so unless the main character is a Holy Knight themselves, get to the Temple District and recruit Keldorn. This legendary weapon is famous throughout the sword coast, so it might look familiar from one of the tabletop modules.
Where can an adventurer acquire such an epic blade? Well, by killing a dragon, of course. Lord Firkraag in the temple ruins in the Umar Hills holds the sword, but you can only get it by slaying him.
3 New: Ir’revrykal
If there’s a sword that draws power from the light, there must be an equally dark blade to match. Ir’revrykal is the mirror image of Carsomyr and can only be used by Paladin with an evil alignment.
Dorn Il-Khan, a companion that’s only available in the Enhanced version, fits that description. The sword is guarded by a band of Githyanki in Watcher’s Keep, making it tough just to find.
2 Legacy: Gesen’s Shortbow
Imagine a bow that never needed arrows, and then imagine no more, because this is it. In the old game, it was a scavenger hunt of sorts to put together the two separate pieces of this iconic bow. The string is hidden in the Asylum of Spellhold and the shaft is in the tanner’s house in the Bridge District.
A player also has to find a skilled dwarven craftsman who could reforge the legendary weapon. Check those boxes off and you have one of the best short bows in the game, an ideal weapon for a companion with a high bow proficiency.
1 New: The Grave Binder
This weapon appears in both Enhanced versions of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2, but in different locations. It is sometimes referred to by its common nickname, Longtooth, and is associated with thieves and assassins.
Players can obtain it through the Neera’s Hidden Refuge quest sequence in Shadows of Amn, an area which is only available in the Enhanced version of the game.
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