Ganesh's Collected Hints and Tips

Internet's Hints and Tips (Version 0.91)

Planescape: Torment isn't a game that's easy to get stuck. You can get stuck if you try to bypass things which must happen, for example, before killing Trias in Curst, you send Annah to pick-pocket away the sword and scroll. Now, this will make you stuck as the game will not give any dialog after he dies. 

The internet, as you know, is a world of endless information possibilities. Little small tips get scattered here and there, unnoticed. And so, here are tips I gathered from the 'net.

Source: http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/912458-post16.html

If you're having problems installing to a Windows XP system, target the setup.exe file from your command line, and add the flag -lgntforce to it, then run it. This tip courtesy of Tricky, and it works.

Source: http://torment.db-forge.com/

There are two "hidden stats" maintained by the game:

• Lore gives you a chance to identify items without a spell. Increases as you level.
• Luck is a very powerful stat. You can get from 1 to 3 luck points. For each point of luck, you get a +1 to hit, +1 to damage, +1 to saving throw, and +1 HP from healing spells. Opponents get -1 to hit and -1 to damage. Plus you get a small bonus to thief skills, bashing, and weapon speed.

In addition to normal effects of stats, they do the following in Torment:

• High Strength allows for intimidation of some NPC's
• High Intelligence gives extra dialog options, helps regain memories and a bonus to lore
• High Wisdom gives experience bonus (starting at 13), extra dialog options, warnings of danger and luck bonuses (starting at 15)
• High Dexterity gives extra dialog options
• High Constitution allows you to regenerate faster
• High Charisma gives a discount in stores (starting at 16), extra dialog options, increases impact of certain lies and truths and improves certain rewards.

Most statistic checks in the game will succeed for a stat that is 13 or higher.

There are many ways to raise stats as the game progresses.

You can switch between fighter, mage or thief any time you can find someone to train you.

You get a +1 bonus to your primary stat for whichever class you reach 7^th level in first.

If you make 12^th level first in the same class you first made 7^th level, you get the following "super bonus":

• Fighter gets +1 STR, +1 CON, +3 max HP
• Thief gets +2 DEX, +1 Luck
• Mage gets +2 INT, +1 WIS, +5 Lore

Source: Paul Ackerley ( http://www.ackadia.com )

Naturally HOW you play and which characters are in the party makes a big difference. However, there is another you probably aren't aware of - Specialisation Bonuses.

The first time you reach level 7 in a class you gain appropriate ability bonuses.
A fighter with Strength 18 will become Strength 19 - NOT 18/30 :-)

This is repeated at level 12 and, perhaps, at level 20 (I forget).
At level 12 your fighter gains Constitution, Dexterity and Strength. A mage gains Intelligence, Wisdom and, I think, Dexterity. Not tried the thief yet.

ALSO, tattoos appropriate to that specialisation become available, at a price.

This is the other important bit, this is a once off shot! You DON'T get three lots of bonuses for reaching level 12 as a Fighter, A mage and a Thief - I tried :-)

Source: Cheat submitted by TrueRavage

I've found that if you talk to the coffin-maker in the southeast corner of the Lower Ward and complete his quest for the warehouse (thereby gaining a map of your underground tomb), that you can keep talking to him again and again afterwards to gain 2000 experience points repeatedly. It worked well enough to gain my character about six levels in each class before it became tedious.

Source: Cheats submitted by mdk2

Lenny in Lower Ward:
When you manage to free the lady who is being sold as a slave quest, go back to Lenny and ask him to train you as a thief. You will gain 2500 experience points each time you ask him to train you.
Note: You will eventually have stats of 125% for all thief abilities; however, if you ask Lenny to teach you some more, your thief stats will become 0%. To avoid this go to the next experience bug location which is either the coffin maker in the Lower Ward or the sensory stone in the Festhall in the Clerks Ward area.

Festhall bug exploitation:
In the Festhall, approach Splinter and ask him if you could enter the private sensorium. Head for the green sensory stone which mentions about Ravel. You will get 6000 experience points each time.

Level bug:
Cheat submitted by Becky

When you get to the Deva and after you get his sword you will need to talk to him. Select the first dialogue option (Ravel the hag sent me to you). Select the second dialogue option (how can these chains be broken). Select the first dialogue option (how can these chains be broken). Select the first dialogue option (is this your sword? I found it in the center of the prison). Select the second dialogue option (strike a blow against the chain). Select the only option (wait) -- then you will need to wait. You will get about 300,000xp (this will go up as your wis goes up).

After the black he will grant you something... knowledge, power, or wealth... there is another option. Select the second dialogue option (ah well. farewell). (The total selection process is 121121, wait for the black out and him to talk to you, 2) You will have his sword and you can talk to him an infinite amount of times. It levels your guys pretty fast.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com 

Use these hints to get more gold and experience

Experience in Sensate Emporium
In the Sensate emporium (the private sensory stones), keep going to Ravel's stone and nodding until you have to speak. You will gain 6000 experience points every time. Then, just end the experience.

Experience in Civic Festhall
First visit the Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts and speak with Juliette about her dull love life, and offer to help her spice it up. Then visit Scofflaw Penn in the Lower Ward to get the love-letters, then travel to the Civic Festhall in the Clerk's Ward of Sigil and locate Montague. Speak with him until you get to the dialogue option screen that says: 1: "She's trying to trick you into being more passionate." 2: "Never mind...farewell." Choose the second option. You will be awarded 5000 experience points, and given the same two options again. Continue choosing the second option and receive 5000 experience points each time.

Thanks to Jesse Williams for this cheat code.

Unlimited Money

When at the Smoldering Corpse bar, go to Moachi inside the eastern part of the bar. Keep on telling her about how she is not a dustie and ask for some money. Repeat as many times as needed to get 50 gold with each request. This is especially useful if you do not have enough money to buy a tattoo.

Source: Scott Weaver

See All Movies
Edit your Torment.ini file and look for [Movies], edit it to look like this:

[Movies]
BISLOGO=1
TSRLOGO=1
OPENING=1
SS_MSLAB=1
SIGIL=1
TIME=1
SS_PHARD=1
SS_ADETH=1
ALYBIRTH=1
DEATH=1
MAZE1=1
CURSTD=1
OUTLANDS=1
BAATOR=1
CARCERI=1
CRETURN=1
FORTRESS=1
FORTDOOR=1
ARRV_IGN=1
T1ENTER=1
METEOR=1
DRAGON=1
T1ABSORB=1
FINALE=1
CONFLAG=1
T1DEATH=1
RUNE=1

Hex Cheat
This will show how to modify any of your character's stats. It's actually pretty simple.

1. Write down the stats for the specific character you want to edit (probably start with the Nameless One but it will work on any person in your party) in this order: STR, %STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, CHAR. Example: 18 30 15 15 17 12 9.
2. Once you have written them down, convert each one into HEX. You can use windows calculator in scientific mode to do this. Enter the value in to the calculator and click the Hex radio button to see the value in hex. Here are the above values in hex: 12 1E 0F 0F 11 0C 09.
3. Once you have them converted, using your hex editor search for the above numbers in the torment.gam file*. Enter in the search like so (no spaces): 121E0F0F110C09.
4. Once you have found these values you can change them as you like. You can use the your windows calculator the calculate the stats you want to hex and replace them as you like.

*The Torment.gam file is located in the save directory off of your main torment folder.

Experience in Sensate Emporium
In the Sensate emporium (the private sensory stones), keep going to Ravel's stone and nodding until you have to speak. You will gain 6000 experience points every time. Then, just end the experience.

Unlimited Money
When at the Smoldering Corpse bar, go to Moachi inside the eastern part of the bar. Keep on telling her about how she is not a dustie and ask for some money. Repeat as many times as needed to get 50 gold with each request. This is especially useful if you do not have enough money to buy a tattoo.

Get Good Spells for Free Early in the Game
Go to the inn (Dorm) at the Sensate place in the clerks ward. Save your game and try to steal from the lady who gives you a room until you get a key. Go into the eastern room and search the cabinets on the north wall. There are also several charms that may come in handy later in the game.

Fell
If you are stuck, need an extra boost of strength, dexterity, constitution or other attribute, or want something but do not know how to get it, see Fell the tattoo man.

Becoming a Godsman and Getting the Best Axe
Talk to the Auctioneer outside the market in the lower ward. Perform the tasks he will ask you to do. The second task will be to deliver a message to a Godsman, therefore granting you passage to the northern gate (in the lower ward). You will eventually meet a man in a room surrounded by other people. Ask him about becoming a Godsman. He will tell you to forge a weapon in the foundry, the first room you saw when you entered the place. Get the items you need from the clerk in the southwest part of the room. Ask Thildin, the muscular man, for some ore. Then, find the only empty barrel and make the weapon of your choice. Report back to the man that told you how to forge the weapon. Next, there will be a murder. You only need to know where the people are -- you already know where Thildon is; the man whose name starts with "S" is in the same room as man that told you how to forge the weapon, and the other is on the balcony just above him. Talk to Thildon one more time and report back to the man that told you how to forge the weapon. Just convince the man in the locked quarters to live. Be nice to him. You now are a Godsman and have access to the best axe in the game for 5000 GP.

Experience in Civic Festhall
First visit the Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts and speak with Juliette about her dull love life, and offer to help her spice it up. Then visit Scofflaw Penn in the Lower Ward to get the love-letters, then travel to the Civic Festhall in the Clerk's Ward of Sigil and locate Montague. Speak with him until you get to the dialogue option screen that says:

1. "She's trying to trick you into being more passionate."
2. "Never mind...farewell."

Choose the second option. You will be awarded 5000 experience points, and given the same two options again. Continue choosing the second option and receive 5000 experience points each time.

Source: Posted by Chris Avellone - Black Isle Studios on Nov 28, 1999 at 13:34:39:

Hints for playing Torment

Posted by Chris Avellone - Black Isle Studios on Nov 28, 1999 at 13:34:39:

The team's been busting through the game over the past few weeks, and there's some common hints for some easier Torment playing we'd like to share with you so when you pick up the game, you can hit the ground running:

1. Be sure to examine *every* item you get on your inventory screen. Chances are, the description gives clues on how the item can be used effectively -- sometimes, an item's secondary power can be more useful than it's primary ability.
2. Be sure to talk to your party members once they are in your party. They can offer advice, be a good source of experience, and even train you in skills and abilities. Often, helping them with their problems can make them stronger.
3. Be sure to talk to them when you change your class. Chances are, any mage in your party can offer advice to your character when he becomes a mage, and the same holds true for thieves and fighters.
4. Your weapon experience is based on finding on fighting tutors and getting trained. You'll start out with moderate skill in daggers and fist weapons, but any other type of weapon you try and use will carry penalties until you can find a tutor to train you.
5. You can RUN. Some critters can't. Use this to give them a bad day... from a distance.
6. Some store inventories change over time depending on what you do in the game, especially the tattoo parlor and some of the weapon stores. Always head back there when you have a life-shattering event.
7. You will NEVER fail to copy a spell scroll if you can cast the spell and your Intelligence is high enough for you to learn that level of spell. This is done just to prevent reloading. However, there are a lot of spells in the game and your Intelligence determines the number of spells you can actually put in your spell book. So make sure you don't pump up your slots filled with spells unless you really want them -- or unless you have plans to raise your Intelligence later.
8. There are plenty of items and people who can give you stat points throughout the game. If a stat seems to be limiting you from doing something, try and accumulate items to pump up the appropriate stat and try again.
9. Save before talking to important NPCs -- some dialogues are more dangerous than combat, and you might want a second try at some of them.
10. There's a lot of combat in Torment, but you'll inevitably be rewarded a LOT more for not fighting in a number of situations. Don't be surprised if talking someone down or tricking them is worth three or more times what you'd get if you butchered them.
11. Torment favours role-players. Get into your character, play it to the hilt, and you'll find the game has rewards just for your type of character.
12. During initial character creation, you can't raise your stats over 18 (or in the case of strength, 18/00). When you start leveling up however and gaining more stat points, however, this cap is gone.
13. If you get stuck, read your journal -- within the journal entries are usually clues to what you can do next. If that fails, ask one of your companions what you should do next (especially Morte, Annah and Fall-From-Grace). They can help point you in the right direction.
14. Hold down the ALT key when you want to rotate your formations.
15. You can guard an area (like in Baldur's) just by selecting the shield and then dragging it out into a circle. This prevents your more over-zealous characters from running off the screen chasing a fleeing bad guy.

Just some advice,
Chris

Source: Sorcerer ( http://www.sorcerers.net )

More Hints (collected by Sorcerer @ www.sorcerers.net )

• For those playing Planescape: Torment, be sure to purchase the small clockwork toy in Vrischika's Curiosity Shop in the Clerk's Ward and show it to the modrons in the Brothel of Slating Intellectual Lusts. The modrons' revelation will give you access to a brand-new dungeon and potentially a brand new party member.
• Most of the walkthroughs on my site don't tell you what happens if you DO kill the beast from Moridor's Box on your return to Curst. The creature has 500 hit points (exactly 500) and is immune to cold and electricity. The Abysmal Fury spell has about a 1 in 3 chance of killing him outright... but if you use it you miss out on the 500,000 exp payoff you get for fighting it out. The creature leaves behind a ring called Aegis of Torment, 1000 coins and gives you 500.000 XP! The Aegis has the following stats: +3 to Con, +15 to hit points and +3 to to Armor Class (thanks to Aaron Redden for this hint).

Source: cNET GameCenter ( http://www.gamecenter.com )

It may be a good idea to save your game before talking to important NPCs. Sometimes the outcome can be more dangerous or important to your adventure than many combat situations, so you may want to take a second shot if you don't like the result. 
Tip: Don't forget your journal. Sometimes there are clues that can help you out if you're stuck. Or you can always try asking one of your party members to point you in the right direction. 

This is a role-playing game, so combat is important. But don't be surprised if, in certain situations, avoiding combat has a bigger payoff. 

You can toggle through available formations by holding down the ALT key. 

Just as in Baldur's Gate, you can guard an area by selecting the shield icon, then dragging it out into a circle. Doing this prevents your characters from chasing an enemy off the screen. 

Just because a weapon is available to you doesn't necessarily mean that you should place it in your inventory. If you haven't found a corresponding weapons tutor to learn how to use the weapon, it will carry penalties with it. 

Source: Submitted by Cathode

Talk to Morte after you rescue him from Lothar; talk to him about what he can do, and he'll tell you about his new "skill mob" ability. 

Talk to Fall-from-grace about your companion Morte, and she will mention a "Baatorian Smell." Question Morte about this and after some interesting conversation, Morte's stats will increase permanently. 

If your intelligence is high enough and you have learned the Art, ask Dakkon to teach you magic. There are eight circles of Zenthimon, and the very last two you have to teach him. Once you teach him the last one, his stats will go up. 

After you get the skill "stories-bones-speak," go back to the mortuary and use the skill on one of the zombies on the first floor. He is Xarchiriah the blind archer, one of your former companions. He has something in his body that belongs to you and you'll also get a zombie liver (no idea what it's for). 

To get Vhailor (the character that most people miss) from joining the party, after you free Trias and get the key, go to where the portal is but don't go through it. Using the nameless one, walk around the portal and you'll see Vhailor. 

When you meet Marissa, ask her if she can turn your lim-lim into stone. After you get her handkerchief, she will do this for you. Take the stone lim-lim to the merchant outside of the open-air market, and he'll give you a password to the warehouse, where you can join the anarchist faction. 

Ilquix, in the Smoldering Corpse bar, is NOT human or anything humanoid. Talk to the abishi(s) in the bar and attack them, and he will reveal his true form. (The mercikiller said they were looking for a killer in the bar.) 

For unlimited money in the beginning, go to the smoldering corpse bar, and talk to the person dressed like a dustman (mochai) on the bottom right corner of the bar. Threaten him and ask him for money -- you can do this again and again. 

For unlimited experience (2,000 at a time), talk to Hamrys the coffin maker after getting the tomb plans and say you completed the quest. You get 2,000 experience and you can do this again and again. 

When you get to the Upper Ward, getting Grace in your party is your number one priority. With her in your party you can get a lot of extra dialogue and experience in the ward. 

Cranium rats casts spells when there's a pack of them, but only ONE of them can cast spells in each pack. All you have to do is kill that single one (with a magic missile or whatever) and the rest of them is no problem. 

If something is locked, don't bother to pick the lock. Bust it open. 

Chad is a corpse right outside of the dead nations. 

Talk to your PCs regularly. They have a lot to teach you, and you have a lot to teach them. 

Don't bother leveling up in this RPG. If you do all your side-quests, you'll be practically invincible anyhow. And if your wisdom is high enough, you wouldn't have any problems finishing the game. 

Sometimes dying is essential to progress the story. Try letting Yi'minn kill you in the Lower Ward. 

Don't keep Ignus in your party. Get him, talk to him, get some exp/info/spells out of him, and then leave him. He's nothing but trouble. 

Once you're in Curst, you can skip all the quests there and go straight down underground through the dump. 

Have on your person the negative token, the wedding ring, and the bronze sphere before you go in the fortress of regrets. Make sure your wisdom is at least 21. 

Source: Bootstrike.Com Forums (Jason)

Mod Side Effects

If you got 'em, you know. Most of the mods. you can get from Platters site kick @$$. (From Bootstrike.com, go to Torment>useful files>Torment mods). I have just about all of them. Alot of work must have gone into these mods, and they add a TON of replay value to an already excellent game. If you have already played Torment, or are stuck some where in the game, I can not suggest enough that you visit his site.

I've been through the game more times than I can remember, and used most of the mods/cheats alot. As I said, most are great. But there are a few things/bugs you should be aware of.
First of all, Morts large body. If he is ever removed from the party (which happen at least twice, The Nameless Ones Tomb and when he is kidnapped by Lothar) You cannot get him back! Of course, you can summon him with the tome of cheats, but he will be back to his starting level. No big deal if you have the Tome, BUT, the game will not really recognize that he is there. You can still talk to/about him, but he will no longer power up his litany(?) of curses, and you won't be able to bring him back from "death" at the ending. No good if you are going for a perfect game.

By the way, the same thing happens if you ever summon more than one of the same character and then leave one of the "twins" behind. At the end, as far as the game is concerned, you left that character behind.

To avoid this, don't use the Morts LARGE body (the regular one is fine), and don't summon a character that you have to complete a quest to get. (Fall-From-Grace, Annah and Ignus.) I often leave the mortuary with Dakkon, Vhalior, and Nordom already in my party. Just be sure to ignore the "real" character when you see them.

Second, the new "I SEE" spell where the whole screen is visible if you press "T", even if you haven't been everywhere, can freeze the game. (Leaving you with no option except to alt-tab out of the game.) Be sure you save your game before you use this trick!
Third, you won't get Dakkons best blade if you jump him straight up to 127th level. Not that it really matters, he is a God, but maybe it matters to you.

Any other bugs are pretty non-critical, or things common sense should tell you not to do.
Now, I am by NO means a computer wiz (or good speller), so I can't back this up with any tech. reasoning. But it seems to me, the more files you unzip into your override folder, the buggier/crash-prone/freezer the game gets. Keep it simple. I try not to have more than three or four mods. going at once.

The REAL way to play Planescape: Torment

We've all read the walkthroughs that tell us how to get through the game as the hero of the day. Yeah, that's what it's all about. But after the first 15 times or so, it starts to get a wee bit repetitive. So I say let your dark side shine a little. The depth of the game is staggering. You can be whatever you want to be. Chances are you have met the Trancendant One in several forms of good/lawful/neutrality. Have you ever been neutral-evil? Chaotic-evil? You can. Believe it or not it doesn't have to have much of an impact on the ending of the game. It's the game it self that comes alive.

So, berk, if you choose to walk the road less taken, let me offer some advice.

Most important, BE MEAN. You aren't here to help everyone have a better life. You are the only one that matters. And frankly, most of the losers you meet don't deserve to be using up all that air you could be breathin'. Now you can't just go on a killin' spree or eventually the lady will dead book ya, permanent like. (Not to mention you won't get very far in the game...) Nor does it mean you should avoid quests. Just don't do nothin'fer free. What are ya, Mr. Good Nameless One?

Ok, for serious, there are Lots of ways to be a bad guy in Torment. If someone tries to pick pocket you, don't let them go. Threaten them. Punch them in the head. And after they run away, chase them and kill them. Remember, you're playing the bad guy.

The not Dustman chick (sorry ladies) in the smoldering corpse bar is a good example. You don't have to lend her money. Why not make her give you some coppers, then poison her. Just hang on to some embalming fluid.

Tell Nod his sister is a fowl whore you wouldn't...ya know. Of course, then you will have to kill him, but you'll get to keep the money! Tell Mourns for Trees you don't really give a rats arse about the trees. Don't give Nestor his fork, Kill him. He's still gone right?

The list goes on and on. It's very easy to be very mean in Torment. Just be careful not to mess up any important quests. Example: Don't kill Pharod before you wrap up the Bronze Sphere quest. After it either. You can threaten him, just don't kill him. You still have to get to the end of the game, right?

The most important place to start paying attention is when you get to the lower ward. Your #1 goal here is to get in good with the Anarchists. Talk to the auction guy and do his jobs until he asks you to take a message to the Foundry. Go there and become a godsman. After you do, go talk to Bedi...(?) the engineer upstairs. Tell her your not happy as a godsman, and yes, you would act against them. Do everything she wants you to. Once out of the Foundry, run around talking to all your new, unhappy, friends.
In the clerks ward you have to be a little careful, too. There is alot of stuff you need to do to get ravels maze and it's key. Just don't be too much of a jerk here.

Once out of Ravels maze, your free to be a big time a-hole. Pretty much everyone is an enemy anyway.(Oh , yeah. Don't forget to tell Ravel your companions mean very little to you. Tools, ya know.)

Also, don't forget to verbally abuse your companions once in a while, (come on, slave..), just be reasonable. Once I even made Annah so mad she turned hostile and left the party!

The best thing about joining the anarchists is it's the only to "multi-faction". If you didn't join the dustmen earlier in the game (by the way don't) go back and you will have the option to join as a spy. You can have access to the help/supplies of the anarchists, dustmen, godsman, and senates all at the same time. Kewl...

So, this isn't really how this game was meant to be played. But it's like a different game altogether if you do. The nice folks at Black Isle were nice enough to make a game with this many possible paths, so I say try em all!
J.

PS. A real bad guy wouldn' worry about his dead "friends". He would just off the transcendant and go to hell.

Game Crashing on entering the Mortuary

Sometimes, when you try to re-enter the mortuary, the game crashes about 1/4 of the way through loading. To work around this, get your party members to kill you while you're in the Hive. You will appear on the second floor of the Mortuary. Or talk to Pox.

Do you have more tips? Let us know!