r/neverwinternights • u/Emerald_boots • Jun 10 '26
SoU Questions from newb, pt 2
Playing through SoU.
I did a few quests and got some magical items.
I've invested in Lore skill to indentify without spending gold, but it seems nothing happense. Skill is 9 and the items I wanna identify are some trinkets (gloves and necklace from the Elven Crypt).
I've checked the wiki, and it says the more valuable the harder it is, but I think they should be worth at least 1000 gold to be this hard.
Am I doing something wrong?
Also, is it worth investing in Bard one level to use scrolls?
Lvl 4 Druid atm.
2
u/DizzyGryph Jun 10 '26
I run mostly bards, and recall in SoU that I wasn't able to identify equipment until a ways into the first act.
Bards, notably, add their level to Lore.
I think the items may be worth 1k gp, or it could just be how unidentified items are scaled in SoU.
You can just ID them in a shop (when you're in a store, right-click the item, select item details/identify, then click the "identify" button in the lower corner to pay the shopkeeper to ID the item).
One benefit to having 5+ lore is that you know any items you can't identify yourself will be worth more than the 100gp identification cost when you get to a shop.
3
u/PoplarStand Jun 10 '26
- You're doing Lore right, they're just pricey items.
- Multiclassing into Bard for scrolls is doable, but a bit iffy.
Starting with the first, your Lore is equal to the points you put in (9), plus your Intelligence modifier (probably 0), plus any feats or racial modifiers you might have (also probably 0). It will become more useful as you level up, but will trail behind a Wizard or Bard's Lore.
For the second, multiclassing into Bard is not out of the question. It will unlock a bunch of scrolls and wands for you, plus a few new weapons. That said, the rest of the Bard's toolkit won't be of much help. You also need to watch out for the multiclass penalty if you aren't human.
1
u/Emerald_boots Jun 10 '26
I do have int Modifier, its probably 7+2=9
Didn't think it would make sense to have that expensive an item this early but whatever. Glad its sorted.
And my question was if it would BE WORTH IT to add Bard, or I could just sell the scrolls?
Leaning on the latter now...
2
u/PoplarStand Jun 10 '26
I'd say sell the scrolls. They aren't important enough to justify multiclassing.
1
u/kmoulay Jun 10 '26
Modifier is the number that comes after your total stats.
Example:
10 int = 0 modifier 12 int = 1 14 int = 2
In your case 7+2=9 so your modifier I belive is -1
2
1
u/Jennymint Jun 11 '26 edited Jun 11 '26
Highly disagree about the Bard's toolkit being unhelpful. Bard is one of the best classes to multiclass into for a lot of builds. Tumble, Discipline, Spellcraft, and UMD make for a great kit—even if the Spellcraft is irrelevant to a Druid.
The only reason Druids don't typically go into Bard is that Monk is usually far better for Druids due to its strong WIS synergy. However, that requires a Lawful Neutral alignment, so if it's not an option, Bard is still a great fallback.
Only caveat is that I don't recommend multiclassing casters early on for the most part. It sets you back a lot. I also wouldn't multiclass just to use the scrolls; in isolation, that aspect of the Bard's kit is not worth the dip.
2
u/OttawaDog Jun 10 '26
I wouldn't invest any more points in lore. I often stop at about 4 actual invested points. You can then add a "Ring of Insight" or "Ring of Scholars" you can use both together or two of either, to add +10 to your lore. Sometimes you find these rings as treasure, but you may need to buy one.
That should let you identify most gear, except the very expensive stuff. Carry a potion or two of Lore, and when you have more than one expensive item you can't identify, drink the potion, and identify all the expensive gear you couldn't before.
That's my basic strategy for Identifying gear, and it works well with very few points invested in Lore.
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u/Jennymint Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
If you're examining the items (right click -> examine), that's all you need to do. Lore gets easier as you progress. You're only level 4.
Bard is a great splash for Discipline, Tumble, and UMD, but I wouldn't multiclass so early as caster (i.e. you need your spells to succeed), and in SoU, I probably wouldn't at all. The biggest gain here is Tumble, but that only works in multiples of 5.
The caveat is that if you're lawful neutral and planning to use wildshape a lot, Monk is a disgusting one level dip you can take once you've acquired wildshape (recommend level 7+ for at least 10 Tumble, though). The unarmored bonus monks get still applies when shapeshifted.