[twillight]

First a CORRECTION: instead of Long Sword choose Short Sword! there's a +2 Short Sword south of High Hedge, and this way we'll get use the ShSw of Backstabbing.

Second: in BG1, or at least at its beginning, and above all solo anything but a fighter/barbarian SUXX. Hardcore. You desperately need to reach clvl 3-4, and that can only be achieved through quest-exp.
Unfortunately most of the early-access quests give reputation, so I tried to counterbalance it with working for Silke, but although I got the 400 exp, but no money, neither reputation-drop, so WTH, I'll get healing as special ability.

The main problems is:
- you can be hit easily. Even in armor. Heck, despite they disable abilities you SHOULD wear the lowest AC armours and remove when you use the Stealing. Unfortunately stealing is not very well thought through as there are very few stuff to steal, and even if there are, those are quest items. Meh.
- you can't hit anything. You desperately need to rely on bow, and that not always a possibility due to respawning enemies or small areas. It doesn't help either that a lot of enemy can run after you (you are still a bit faster, but not much).
- you can be oneshotted by any semi-important enemy for, I dunno, until you have 30 HP. Doink.

So best wishes against the assassination-attempts. Running towards the local militia helps though.

I suggest hopping after the quests before Naskel which demand only to kill a couple of hobgoblins or sg (try to dispose only the quest-creature, not the entire group, and especially avoid archers!), so after those hop to get the +2 shortsword, and as it is in the same area, kill Basilus.
Basilus is that cleric surrounded by skellies (which are eliminated through conversation). He has a Rigid Thinking which doesn't really matter (you'll either run into safety or keep attacking), 2 Hold Person which you must survive, and finally Entangle. Entangle is your friend, because he too can get stuck giving you free shots with the bow.
He's still very though (higher level than you by enough), so if you can hide behind a stone of the stone circle and save at a point that's good.
I personally also needed 5 potion of healing, and 5 charges from the wand of missiles (and a couple of reloads, lol).

TIP: you can learn Armour. If you sacrifice for it a spell slot, you won't have to wear actual armors, which is a plus given your (compared to the barbarian) low strength.

TIP 2:
- if you meet a random ghast, KILL IT for the exp! Worth a lot, but slow as kcuf, so safe to kill.
- don't forget to buy arrows to resupply!
-
This low strength of course means you can't bash open anything either.

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In Naskel Oblek did not mistake me with Greywolf. Maybe because my reputation was already higher than with the barbarian? Still, this means one less reputation collected.

Also, you can't bash things, so you can not complete Joseph's Greenstone Ring. Hm, maybe with Knock spell? Too bad that is only available from Baldur's Gate (the city) itself. So no exp in time.

The assassination in Nashkel is like the battle against Basilus, but here you have no cover, only some militiaman for support. With at least one around you'll probably be able to constantly cause casting failure, and you'll likely not get the 650 exp from killing him the lethal blow coming from the militia probably, but that equals with a random ghast, so not hugh problem.

In the carnival I needed 5 healing potion just to get rid of the "uh, it's a witch"-mage, but at least it was done. Could use a couple more levels before going in the mines though. Let him kill the "witch" - big loot, no loss.

Get the two special potions. With one you'll be able to learn spells withut intelligence-limitation, and with the other you'll be able to bash open something you really want. Than sleep. A lot.

Killing Drizzt would be attractive for his armour - unfortunately the BG2 engine has a way better pathfinder routine, so you can't just arrow him down. The only chance for the exploit is to buy a bunch of invisibility potions and hope for the best (saving between every swings), but this way will only be open when you have access to Baldur's Gate city.
I thought it'd work if I make Drizzt attack me, turn invisible, than the gnolls take care ofthe problem while I go FAR away, so the pathfinder routine don't kick in. I could definitely dispose some gnoll one way or another. Unfortunately the gnolls though "attack" Drizzt, very rarely roll an attack roll! No wonder Drizzt can kill them without taking scratch (although that he's lvl 16 ina lvl -10 campaign likely helps too). Too bad.

Before going into the Nashkel Mines I suggest look around for some easy areas, like south of Nashkel for the bracers of archery (needed 1 potion od defense to clear the area from events - remember 3 are dropped at Silke), or the gnoll stronghold (all areas to that are pretty much ok if you don't rush into a crowd, and you can get the Boots of North from the guy, and the prot frm undead scroll from the girl and her zombie cat. Only problem is if you attack the Cursed Scroll Seller, who has some damaging spells, and even if you manage to prevent his mirror image causing casting failure - after that comes a horror you must save against -, he's still a capable enemy. Try to finish him off using an Offensive Spin. Still takes 3-4 potion of healing to beat him.).
Be aware though that most other areas, like anyting with Sirens, ankeghs, Gullykin/Ulcaster, are too strong for you! So the only area possibly doable is Durlag's Tower's above-ground floors.
Ok, Sirens are bad, but helping the dryad is ok. Although those guys there hit lethal, but if you killed the Cursed Scroll Merchant (next to the Xvart Village) you were able to learn Web (I try to avoid buying scrolls), and that way it is like free exp (use bow, start killing Dumber/Krumm).

Nashkel Mine exterior: Greywolf is a big guy, but not that terrible at this point. Has enough stats to consume all 4 of "spins" of yours, but hardly does any real harm.

East of Nashkel Mine: this is not the area south of Durlag's Tower. That is NE of NM. This is a l00ter place with a soldier you shouldn't make attacking you (he costed me reputation -> reloaded), a ring of fire resistance, and a body to carry away for quest exp. BEWARE, the body weights 125 weight (whatever the measurement is ingame), so you have to be strong and/or leaving all your regular equipment behind. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING ON THE GORUND, it'd disappear.
Fighting the soldier showed me how unfair the RNG can be. I could hit it rolling 14-20, and he could hit me rolling 19-20. Still took me 3(!) tries with I assume equal amount of HP to kill him. Khm.

The Nashkel Mines only have kobolds mostly, and although I suspect the engine cheats, because the average roll for my character is 4-7, and I get 3 times more frequent critical misses than the AI gets critical hits, and I get 1/10th critical hits as critical misses, kobolds are still hardly a challenge.
I strongly suggest though to get the Wand of Frost from the nook in the area, as it serves perfectly in the room of the local boss, and against the assassin-group when you leave the mine. Rly, if you have like 30 HP left and drink a potion of defense, you can do Full Frontal Assault and be happy! The wand should kill the two non-casters (reload if the one which'd have loot desintegrates - unfortunate possible side-effect of this wand), than run away to only see one, and kill them with +1 arrows (strangely while normal arrows never hit here, the +1 ones did always). Do not leave loot on the ground. Place 'em in a tomb and come back later.
Come to think of it, robbing the tombs is advisable. The one where you have to bring the +2 dagger (I had 43K after going back to Beregost and selling all loot until now, so money isn't a problem anymore) has a potion of Freedom, which is immensly useful in another tomb here which has 3 ghouls-or-what in there which would happily Hold you. Casting another charge from the frost wand there is again good idea.

Oh, abut the assassination attempt in Nashkel don't worry. Wait until the entire militia-regiment walks near the building (now it is a 5 unit group), and you're 100% safe.

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At this point your options are:
- go straight after the Bandit Camp (better reconsider)
- do Durlag's Tower upper floors for 4000 free exp and possibly some loot (potions and such)
- go to the Lighthouse to get that Tome. You likely still won't be able to fight the monsters in the area, but that's what a potion of invisibility CAN solve
- probably ankeghs aren't impossible now, so you can pass that farm area solving its quests
- there's still the basilisk area (E of Beregost Temple) for hugh chnucks of exp if you insist
- Firewine Bridge worth a try for Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise (this is a single 1-on-1 fight which with a lvl 6-7 character should hurt you but not kill you)
- there's also Gullykin (and the Ulcaster dungeon accessed from here for some loot) to give a try if you can manage the assassins for their chainmail +2. The fight is not without danger though. When you arrive you should make your way to the gnome settlement to have access to the local hospital. Yes, they have a healer there. Next start to play peek-a-boo with the would-be headhunters! You have to save before trying, and also should keep in mind the Random Monster Spots which are freakin' annoying! If you're lucky only one enemy will chase you (when you showed yourself and see it running after you run like half a screen before starting shooting arrows to minimize the chance more than one incoming). Use +1 arrows. If the human fighter comes after you, consider yourself lucky; if not, welcome the exp (hopefully). When the enemy is down, get healed by the healer and repeat the process.
For the last time I could not separate the mage from the human soldier, so had to fizzle away my wand of frost (used 3 charges here). As you can buy another if you must at High Hedge it is ok to do so. Also, the human warrior is a big brute, who's even fast walking, so if you have some +2 arrows (I had 5, found on some enemy somewhere), why not pummel him with those.