D&D: Baldur’s Gates 1, 2 and Icewind Dale Get Major Updates, Plus Commander Shepard’s Voice

A major update for Beamdog’s enhanced editions of classic cRPGs Baldur’s Gates 1&2 and Icewind Dale brings bold new action and the voice of Mark Meer.

Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II, and Icewind Dale are some of the most beloved cRPGs in gaming history. These isometric, party-driven adventures represent some of the best dungeon delving, city-searching, and David Warner’s savory voice telling you that he’s going to unlock your power.

These games are legends that still hold up twenty years later. Which is why, more recently, Beamdog has given them new life in a modern age with their Enhanced Editions which provide much needed graphical updates, and renders them playable on modern systems so you don’t have to go through a hacking montage to make a game that was never designed to run on Windows 10 work without hilariously glitching your player characters into some kind of digital heaven.

And earlier, Beamdog has launched Patch 2.6, a major update for all three games that is a huge improvement. The biggest thing here is that they’re upgraded for 64-bit systems, massively improving compatibility for anyone with a gaming rig at all.

On top of that, you’ll find seven new player voice sets, including two from none other than MaleShep himself, Mark Meer. Alongside DudeShep, you’ll find 11 new character portraits, fixes for some of the more egregious bugs, and new French, Italian, German, Ukrainian ,and Polish text localizations. Here’s a look at the full details.

via Beamdog

This upgrade improves system compatibility, including the 64-bit requirement for macOS. 32 bit-operating systems are no longer supported.

• 11 New Character Portraits | New character portraits to customize your hero’s look
• 7 New Character Voice Sets | New player voice sets to customize your hero’s battle cries
• Mark Meer | The legendary Mark Meer reprises his roles as Alveus Malcanter (the most major of minor mages) and Baeloth Barrityl (The Entertainer of the Black Pits)
• CEO & Co. | You’ll also be treated to the barbarian battle cries of Beamdog CEO, Trent Oster (who
  lost his voice for a few days after the recording session), plus four more Beamdog team voices!

• Area Names | Area names now display correctly on multiplayer saves
• Character Imports | Fixed issue with multiplayer character imports, specifically thief skills
• Chat Hotkey | Added a hotkey for multiplayer chat: hit “T” to open the chat
• Crash Fixes | Fixed several multiplayer crashes
• Client Connection | Fixed a few conditions preventing client connection
• Error Handling | Improved internal error handling
• Host Reload | Hosts reloading no longer cause clients to get stuck in level-up
• New Characters | New characters joining multiplayer sessions no longer receive default equipment
• Player Familiars | Player familiars and their stat blocks now load correctly in multiplayer games
• Time Played | Fixed error in multiplayer time played information
• Troubleshooting | Improved multiplayer troubleshooting by adding a network.log file and a fix to how the jingle.log file resets

• Aid Bonuses | Aid bonuses to hits and damage now display correctly on the inventory screen, and the status icon displays on the character record screen
• Bigby’s Hand Spells | Updated spell graphics and fixed saving throws for Bigby’s Clenched Fist and Bigby’s Crushing Hand
• Breach | Breach now uses projectiles and visuals consistent with the other spell protection removal spells
• Detect Illusion | Corrected the casting range on Detect Illusion
• Call Lightning and Pillar Spells | Effects that involve pillar animations, such as Call Lightning have been remastered into a single animation sequence rather than several stacked animations
• Chaos Shield | Chaos Shield and Improved Chaos Shield now use graphics distinct from Miscast Magic
• Chaotic Commands | Chaotic Commands now use the correct projectiles at all levels
• Cloud Projectiles | Updated Cloud Projectiles so they are cleared by Zone of Sweet Air
• Cloud Spells | Several Cloud Spell visual effects have been updated to match their color descriptions (including Cloudkill, Stinking Cloud, Death Fog, and Incendiary Cloud)
• Club Proficiency | Club proficiency now displays correctly on character records
• Fire and Cold | Fire and cold graphics of numerous items, spells, and abilities have been recolored to appear more realistic
• Fire Shields and Blade Barriers | Fire shields and similar effects no longer display text feedback if the striking creature is out of range of the struck creature
• Fire Shields and Blade Barriers | Damage suffered when striking a protected creature now ignores mirror image
• Fire Shields and Blade Barriers | These spells may now be refreshed before their durations expire
• Fireball | Updated visual effects for the Fireball spell and for items that use Fireball style explosions
• Haste Scrolls | Haste Scrolls now correctly target an area rather than a particular creature
• Hit Dice | Spells affecting creatures based on their hit dice now work as expected
• HP Drain | Spells that drain HP now work as expected, and cannot drain more HP than available from a target
• Invisibility, 10′ Radius | Invisibility, 10′ Radius now no longer affects enemies and uses a 10 foot radius area of effect
• Lightning Bolt | Restored Lightning Bolt to behavior in the original games: the bolt continues in a straight line beyond the initial target, hitting all in its path and bouncing off obstacles
• Magic Resistance | Spells such as Glitterdust, Contagion, and Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere no longer bypass magic resistance
• Melf’s Minute Meteors | Updated damage type from piercing to missile
• Movement Effects | Movement effects from spells such as Entangle now relate properly with stacking or counteracting effects from spells or the environment
• Non-Detection | Spells blocked by Non-Detection will no longer play visuals or sound effects on targeted creatures
• Physical Mirror | Physical Mirror effects now have consistent duration and dispel behavior
• Poison Immunity | Creatures immune to poison no longer visibly recoil in combat when hit by poison or disease effects
• Polymorph Self | Fixed inconsistencies, casting time and minor issues with Polymorph Self
• Power Levels | Corrected the power level of several items and spells to make sure they interact properly with spell protections, such as Spell Turning or Globe of Invulnerability
• Power Word and Symbol Spells | audio and visual spell effects will only play if targets are actually affected by the spell
• Projectile Speeds | Updated projectile speeds so they are more consistent
• Projectile Speeds | Thrown darts and dagger speeds have been sped up to appear more realistic
• Priests of Tyr | Divine Favor and Exaltation now play expected graphics and sounds
• Priests of Tempus | Chaos of Battle now plays different animations on allies and opponents
• Psionic Blast | Description for Psionic Blast now appears in the innate ability menu when you shapechange into a Mind Flayer
• Raise Dead & Resurrection | Raise Dead and Resurrection type spells can no longer be cast on living targets, only dead targets
• Recurring Effects | Spells and items with effects that refresh each round now reapply the recurring effect properly
• Regeneration | Updated Regeneration status icon used on portraits
• Repulse Undead | Aligned School of Magic for Repulse Undead’s parent and child spells
• Saving Throws | Corrected saving throw messages and functionality on a handful of spells and magic items
• Shaman Spirits | The spirit animals summoned by shamanic dancing are now correctly dispelled when they reach the edge of the shaman’s visual range
• Shamanic Spells | Shamanic spells and abilities now play consistent visual effects with “shamanic themed” colors
• Shapechange | Fixed inconsistencies, casting time and minor issues with Shapechange
• Simulacrums | Simulacrums and Projected Images no longer incorrectly inherit temporary abilities from casters
• Sleep & Unconsciousness | Fixed a few minor issues in the Sleep and Unconsciousness effects; status icons on character record screen now differentiate between Sleep and Unconsciousness
• Spell and Potion Icons | Added or updated portrait icons to portray suitable magical effects for several spells, potions and abilities
• Spell Protection Removal | Spell Protection Removal spells may now be cast onto invisible creatures
• Spell Target Glow | Creatures targeted by spells now glow consistently
• Spellstrike | Spellstrike now uses projectiles and visuals consistent with the other spell protection removal spells
• Spirit Armor | Spirit Armor saving throws now work as expected
• Spirit Fire | Aligned School of Magic for Spirit Fire’s parent and child spells
• Time Trap | Trap projectile for thieves’ Time Trap ability now plays audio
• Wish and Limited Wish | These spells now behave correctly as level 9 and level 7 spells when interacting with spell protections

And all that’s just barely scratching the surface though. If you’re letting your nostalgia guide you, this is a great time to jump back in with these games. They’ve got new life, but the same old feel.

Happy Adventuring!

Author: J.R. Zambrano

Bell of Lost Souls Staff Writer and DM, J.R. covers RPGs of all stripes and on occasion eats sandwiches. You can ask him about either at [email protected]