So, we COULD go into BG, but it'll provide us tons of exp anyway before passing through, not to mention better gain some equipment we skipped until now as things will become harder.
First goal is the Tome of Constitution, start it with High Hedge. Buy there Scroll of prot. from magic, prot. form undead, wand of sleep (can use!), Horn of Kazgaroth, Claw of Kazgaroth (this might be unnecessary as you'll loose the regeneration from 20 CON), and all three doses of Potion of Mirrored Eyes in case you come across some basilisk, lastly all Potion of magic blocking.
Lighthouse: here reside some sirens who try to dire-charm you. While they posed no threat in pure BG1 for charmed protagonist wasn't equal with dead protagonist according to the engine, under BG2 engine I wouldn't risk it, and drink a Potion of Clear Thoughts than dispose both group of creatures standing in the way to the cave (dunno when did I find such potion, but it was maybe the very first potion, which points towards Candlekeep). Go in - go out then.
Now hop to the Gnoll Fortress for the Tome of Charisma. Along the way you can grab the Boots of the North if you want to (does not work with 10 charisma).
Hop back the Nashkel to ease your backpack, Then go SW for 1 point of reputation and the Girdle of Bluntness. Unfortunately the girl&the cat quest does not give the magic scroll and the rep 1.
Go east an area and get the Bracers of Archery. Go east of Nashkel's Mine and get the Ring of Fire Resistance, Hafiz's scroll, and finally carry Samuel to the Friendly Arm Inn.
At this point your reputation can be 20, so time to sleep after the many walking. If you want. Oh, and I noticed that while 19 CON still does not regenerates you, 20 seems to do the trick!
Noteworthy minor treasures and their areas:
- E of Beregost's Temple provides hugh amount of exp, and also the Golden Girdle (good for the very final fight)
- N of Friendly Arm Inn provides you hunting Ankeghs, which aside the fighting exp means money when selling their shells. The ankeghs infinitely respawn.
- in Peldvale if you manage to defeat the mages you can be proud owner of a Ring of Energy.
- W of High Hedge: you can get a full free heal if you feel like it and you don't have yet 20 Constitution.
- Firewine Bridge: Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise
- Gullykin: various minor treasures (a scroll or potion here and there), but above all a Chainmail +2. That in itself equals Splint Mail + Ring of Protection +1 in AC potentially freeing up an equipment-slot for you.
Baldur's Gate East: get hired by the thieves to gain access to the Tome of Dexterity. Also, you can buy potions, scrolls and arrows from the magic shop. I suggest investing into the antimagic stuff (and the prot. from undead scroll), and if you don't find it elsewhere 5 potions of speed.
South East: there is a basilisk roaming around. Just tellin'. You can also find a Rogue Stone in the area.
South: here be the basilisk you were told 'bout. Better get rid of it for safety measures. Ok, it is inside a house, but still. Do NOT go to the Iron Throne Tower! The reason for this would be a+1 Splint Mail at the maior, but even with 24 STR I couldn't break the lock, so you may go in anyway.
South West: There is a tavern into you (being evil alignment) should never enter, the Seven Suns HQ you have to massacre, and a mage's house I mention for his ring of wizardry, which used to earn 9,000 gold (so when arriving to BG2 you can immediately buy stuff in the Adventurer's Mart I assume).
Central: Nadine can give you a necklace of missiles, and do the thieves' bidding.
West: earn the large shield +1, +4 vs missiles, and the nymph hair (in the east section's magic shop you get a nymph cloak for it) - but wait with the nymph hair if you want the ring of protection +2!
North West: the Helm of Balduran
North: if you didn't do the nymph hair quest the mage with the ring of prot. +2 appear and can be killed. Either way here be Tome of Intelligence.
North East: the ogre assassin in the inn is better killed both for exp and gold, but he's a real brute capable of killing you. I needed a Potion of Speed against him.
And finally some cross-area quests: you need to do Lothander's Gease to get the (a) Tome of Wisdom. Unfortunately I never got the option to say "give me the scroll first", so I had to force-attack her (no loss of reputation). The other is the Cloak of Balduran, which needs you start the Helm of Balduran quest properly. For this the battle horrors and such are too much, but running in and out in boots of speed solves that problem.
Sewers: when you go to kill the ogre mage bring a Potion of Freedom 'cause the worms.
At this point this version of combining the games allowed me to be lvl 9, letting you know.
The Iron Throne: barbarians can not cast fireballs as spells, but they still can use potions. From the East section's magic shop you can bring some. For me 1 dose of Potion of Firebreath and 1 scroll of prot. from fire was enough to win (they like to cast from Wand of Heaven). Get the Ring of Free Action and leave the city (there are also some protection scrolls to have, one a prot. from petrification, other prot. from undead).
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CITY buy,
for all sake the three
Potion of 24 strength!
Candlekeep:
- sleep in the inn BEFORE entering the Inner Keep!
- if you were on lvl 5 you'll be arrested when you leave it making lvl 6 abundant. Well, not so much if you wear Boots of Speed which allows you to outrun the guard and get a ring of prot. +1 from a chest. If you need money. And if you can keep it in your inventory long enough to reach a shop. Collecting spells don't worth it as you can't sell 'em anywhere in the compound.
Catacombs:
lvl1: get the two Tomes (and the second ring of fire protection). This is why you had to buy the strength-potion: they are heavily locked away! Also turned out the Amulet of Shield does squat against magic missiles
lvl2: somehow the Elminster-group walked on a trap of fireball while I followed from far. Certainly eased my job.
lvl 3: rest until regenerated before entering. Or just reload? Seems reloading somehow patched me full health. Involuntary, but...Either way dispose the mercs however you want, grab their throwing axe +2, drink their potion of invisibilty (unless you have protection from petrification by either potion or scroll), and leave the area.