I was always a bit disappointed in the helmets in BG2. Mainly because you recieve the Helm of Balduran so early, I kind of expected the Helms to get better as the game progressed, and they didn't really. I still had that helm throughout the entire game. Anyway, I thought I'd start a thread on them.

What are your favorite helms in the game? Which are the best for which classes, and why? Do you wish, like me, there were more in the game?

Also, the description for all helmets states "Protects against critical hits." Well, what does this mean exactly? I've always wondered this, even since BG1. Do they make you immune to critical hits, or do they just reduce your enemy's chances to score one? And if so, by how much?

I'm pretty sure that helmets avert all critical hits. Which is funny, when you consider that a critical hit might also be a hit in the heart, eye, genitals, etc.

Me, I only use helmets out of necessity, because usually I dislike having them to make my characters' avatars look bad. Cernd's and Viconia's avatars look silly with a helmet. Just my aesthetical preferences.

Aerie in a helmet :rolleyes:

Yes, Balduran one - with horns :D


For my character Helm of Glory, always. For some specific encounter when I would send him to the battle alone, I could take some other helmet for specific resistances, but I'm certainly too lazy to remove it for AC purposes.

Nah, not all helmets make you immune to critical hits. I'm not really sure if there are any in SoA that do. But, my personal preference is the Helm of Brillance. Prismatic Spray, ah, good special ability. Really softens up the baddies.

Helm of Balduran is usually my first choice; Helm of Charm Protection is my second. I agree that Helms are generally lacking, though. And I’m like chevalier; worrying about the measly AC bonus is not worth the effort.
And yes, DarkGoddess, SoA Helms offer critical hit protection.

But, in my book, protection and immunity are two different things. Heck, I mean, my chars have still had the crap knocked out of them and wore helmets that offered protection, but not immunity.

Here is what I understand about critical hit protection:
It prevents the 2X damage (you just get 1X)
The feedback screen might show you received a critical hit even though it was only 1X
It's possible that all helmets offer critical hit protection (not sure about this; I seem to recall reading it somewhere)

You just don't get extra critical damage and this applies to all helmets. Otherwise I would walk around bare-headed as normally in roleplaying.

Yup, anything worn in the helmet slot protects against critical hits, even ioun stones and special items like that burial mask in Firkraag's dungeon. Intentional or not, it's simply the way the game engine works. I like the Helm of Balduran because of the saving throw bonus. I would always take saving throw bonuses over better AC, if I had to choose.

I agree. Most helms look ugly. And unless my portrait has horned helms(which it never does) I never wear Balduran's helm. Only Korgan wears it, nobody else does.
I have an off-topic question. Why a bare-headed elf looks like a monkey in the game screen ??? Aren't they meant to be handsome folks? I love to try F/M/T etc, but I can't stand looking like a monkey!

Have to say my favorite helms are the two made with the upgraded mod. LOL

One combines the Charm Protection and the Helm of Defense into an Uberhelm..

The other upgrades the Charm helmet into an "antipsionics" helmet... awesome.

Hmmm I normaly use the Ioun Stone that regenerates or the one with the Saving throw bonus. Although on my last run through I acidently left the mask from Firkrags Dungeon on all the way through the game :o

Do the Ioun stones protect against critical hits though?

I've read somewhere... Maybe Balderdash or Weimer, that the reason that amges can't wear Ioun stones, which in reality they should be able to is that due to the game engine, anything you place in the helmet spot will grant protection against critical hits and so any mod that is added to make Ioun stones universal is considered cheating rather than bug correction, by TBG. The coding for anything placed in the helmet spot granting critical hit protection is apparently so fixed and integrated that it cannot be changed.

I don't know whether this is a rumor or fact. So please don't attack me if you think you know better.

Edit: This is from Baldurdash.org

Wormy Hellcar's Universal Ioun Stones are items I'd love to include in the Bugfixes, but the developers have stated that they really did want to restrict mages, bards and other characters who can't wear helmets from using them, though they were invented in AD&D by a mage for mages. This is in reality probably due to a hard-coding in the Infinity engine whereby anything in the "head" slot protects against critical hits as a helmet and this ability can't be removed. Here they are for all characters to use if you can't get them from Wormy's page...

:evil: He he hee Thanks! That's good to know!

ps - Love the avatar! :thumb:

Willowisp, correct me if I read you wrong, but mages can wear Ioun Stones.

Only way mages can wear ioun stones is if you have installed a "fixpack" that allows it. A default game with official patch does not permit this. Although any character, mage or otherwise can wear the mask of strom found in firkrag's dungeon.

all my characters (they're all elves, of course :D )use ioun stones, no helmets, not even balduran's. elves just look so much better without helmets. besides, balduran's looks so huge and doofy on an elf's head :rolleyes:

I have no fixpacks installed and have always been able to equip mages with Ioun stones with or without ToB.

Same here -- I always have a good Ioun stone like the regenerating one on my mages -- Imoen in particular needs all the help she can get in the AC / defense department. Of course, the circlet of Netheril also is good . . .!

As for helmets for my other characters, I like the fact that there's lots of charm protection helmets -- I HATE being dire charmed, especially since sometimes all you can do is shoot a dispel magic into the middle of the fight, which undoes a lot of good buffing in addition to uncharming the victim. IIRC, though, Remove Magic does a nice job of that without hosing the rest of the party.

IIRC, though, Remove Magic does a nice job of that without hosing the rest of the party I could be wrong about this but I think Remove Magic only affects enemies, so that wouldn't work here.

I would say the the Helm of Balduran is the best. Sure, it looks pretty stupid but it does the job.

Of course can mages wear Ioun Stones.

And I agree with all of you saying that helmets looks ugly on some NPS:s.

@ Splunge

Remove magic will work, because when a character is charmed, his circle goes red, and is considered an enemy character. So, while I've never tried it (I usually use Dispel Magic instead) remove magic should work just fine, and offers the benefit of not removing the protections of all of your other party members.

I did not think Ioun Stones offered protection for critical hits. However, I have had no problems equiping ANY character with Ioun Stones, mages included. In fact, IIRC, there are some Ioun Stones that can only be used by mages. In the item description, there is nothing that says anything about Ioun Stones giving protection form critical hits. Even a generic non-magical helmets say "protects against critical hits" in the description. So, I think that the INTENT of the programmers was for Ioun Stones not to protect against critical hits. If this is not the case, it is because, as was previously stated, anything placed in the helm slot is hardwired to confer protection against critical hits.

The description of "protection from critical hits" is correct. A critical hit is scored whenever a character (or creature) rolls a "20" on a 20-sided die. The result of this is that the receiptient of that hit takes double damage unless said creature has a helmet equipped.

And another thing about Ioun Stones...how do they stay on? They're just rocks, right? No band or chain to hold them on with. So what...do you stick them up your nose?

:confused: Never quite gotten that one. :confused:

If you swallow a bunch, can you get multiple bonuses at the same time? :D

I guess so...until you poop 'em out. But I don't think I'd use them after that, would you? :D

Ioun stones orbit your head... They're magical after all...

Really? I had no idea. That would make me dizzy as hell, personally. :roll:

OR make your enemies dizzy as hell! ;) I still don't see why I can't have more than one 'orbiting' at once. I'd be walking around with a solar system around my head! :p

People that do not want helmets, but will have prot. from critical hits, do as me. I made a tattoo of a drop that is hanging from my eye. It has no animation nor avatar changes, only a description. And it protects against critical hits, that's for sure :D

If you whant to be protected from chriticals and plays as a thief or mage (any class that cant use helmets)just keep the Burial Mask from King Strohm III. It can be worn by any class.

I read this in Dan Simpsons wonderful walktrough and it really works!

I use the Balduran Helm throughout the game too... I only get to explore other helms when I let companions join. Second choice would be the helm of brilliance.

Lots of people like Vhailor's Helm from the bonus CD for the simulacrum. I don't use simmy's enough to go nuts over this helm though. :rolleyes:

Too bad you can't equip helms AND ioun stones at the same time like the older FR games. IIRC, they are small in size (comparable to size of a ring), plus they orbit your head... and somehow this interferes with your ability to simultaneously wear a helmet.