# Baldur's Gate II - Sphere or Castle **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 27, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896 "2006-01-27T20:07:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/1 "2006-01-27T20:07:03Z")
I’m playing BG2 as a dual-class fighter/mage. I’m just about to go and take out the people/monsters in Nalia’s family castle, and restore her family’s honor. I haven’t gone after the Planar Sphere quest yet, but that will be soon. My question: Since I’m dualed, can I have either of the strongholds, or am I eligible for only one of them? If so, which one? My dilema is that I’ll turn down the castle, then find myself not eligible for the Sphere. And if I can pick one or the other (I know I can’t pick both)(at least, I don’t think I can), which would be a better stronghold? I still have most of the quests in the city (no, I won’t try spelling it without it being written out in front of me) to do. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/2 "2006-01-27T20:37:13Z")
I don’t know if you have a choice of quest’s. I will say, that having done both with diferent characters, the castle stronghold quest is more fun IMHO. ``` Most of the really fun stuff can be done in the sphere without doing the stronghold parts. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/3 "2006-01-27T20:44:01Z")
> [@Sweetums](#): > > I don’t know if you have a choice of quest’s. I will say, that having done both with diferent characters, the castle stronghold quest is more fun IMHO. > > ``` > Most of the really fun stuff can be done in the sphere without doing the stronghold parts. > > ``` Sounds good. I was just thinking that it would be more convenient to have a safe house within the city, instead of trampling out to the edge of nowhere (16 hours travel time to the castle). Saves the characters the whole fatigue thing. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/4 "2006-01-27T22:18:11Z")
You can get only one. Whichever you do first is it (I don’t recall if you can reject it or not, but I think so). Honestly, few of the stronghold quests are really great. You can get a nice item out of the Planar Sphere. You can get some cash and a lot of XP out of the castle. C’est la vie. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/5 "2006-01-27T23:36:23Z")
There are mods out there which will allow one to get every stronghold, regardless of class. Keeps on from having to run through the game 7+ times just to feel you hit everything (although I think I’ve run through it that many times just to get all the character dialogs, test out player-created NPCs, play with super-powerful items, test different spell chains, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-ii-sphere-or-castle/341896/6 "2006-01-28T15:39:13Z")
Well thanks for the tips, folks. I guess I’ll stick with the Castle, since that’s the one I hit first. I’m about to go after the golems. (Glad they are too big to fit through the door.) Should be a long day.