Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn Cheats & Secrets for PC

Originally released just two years after the universally acclaimed Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II is BioWare’s 2000 sequel to its groundbreaking Dungeons & Dragons CRPG. The PC version would launch on September 21, 2000, with a Mac version arriving not long after in October 2001. Over a decade later, an updated version of the title was released on Steam, with Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition also eventually making its way to the Nintendo Switch and iOS platforms. Regardless of which version players experience, Baldur’s Gate II is commonly recognized as being one of the most important RPGs ever made and an essential game in the genre.

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows Of Amn Premise

The sequel to Baldur’s Gate picks up shortly after the closing of the first game. Victorious against Sarevok, Gorion’s Ward again becomes the subject of unwanted attention when he draws the ire of the powerful mage Jon Irenicus. Irenicus views the Ward as one of the few powerful forces capable of standing between him and his goal of draining the Tree of Life, prompting him to capture and imprison the Ward and his companions at the game’s outset. Following a daring jailbreak at the hands of Imoen and the Shadow Thieves, the Ward begins to gather allies and uncover a way to stop Irenicus after escaping from their hold.

In terms of its gameplay, Baldur’s Gate continues many of the trademark elements present in the first game. Players begin by creating a character using the Dungeons & Dragons character creator, assigning traits and rolling starting stats. Once the game begins in earnest, players will make their way through a new part of the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons & Dragons while completing quests, battling enemies, and making important choices that impact both the main character’s morality and social standing as well as the main quest’s outcome. As in other BioWare RPGs, dialogue trees and character interactions are just as central to player success as dungeon-crawling and fighting enemies.

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows Of Amn Main Characters

Shortly after the events of the original Baldur’s Gate, the player character (otherwise known as Gorion’s Ward) makes a powerful enemy in the form of Jon Irenicus. Drawing his attention to Gorion’s Ward as a result of his power and presence in the Sword Coast, Irenicus captures the Ward and their companions before an attack at the hands of the Shadow Thieves creates the perfect distraction for Imoen to arrive and free Gorion’s Ward. The Ward and his companions then spend most of their time in the Amn region attempting to foil the machinations of Irenicus. Several characters from the first Baldur’s Gate return alongside some new faces. Main characters in Baldur’s Gate II include:

• Gorion’s Ward: The human form of the god Bhaal, the Ward is the main character and protagonist of Baldur’s Gate and its sequel. They can choose to be good or evil based on their actions throughout the game.
• Gaelan Bayle: Gaelan Bayle is a member of the Shadow Thieves who lends their help to Imoen and the Ward as a way to free them from the clutches of Irenicus.
• Imoen: Imoen is the childhood friend of the Ward and their closest ally.
• Jon Irenicus: A powerful wizard and the main antagonist of Baldur’s Gate II. Irenicus wishes to draw power from the Tree of Life for his own nefarious aims.

Games in the Baldur’s Gate Series

Following the release and success of the original Baldur’s Gate, a sequel was practically a foregone conclusion. Like clockwork, Baldur’s Gate II would arrive just two years after the original, bringing with it a slew of improvements to an already impressive formula. BioWare would continue with games set in Dungeons & Dragons‘ Forgotten Realms setting with Neverwinter Nights, while the Baldur’s Gate series moved on to spin-offs with the more action-oriented Dark Alliance series. It would take two decades, but 2023 would see the release of the phenomenal third entry in the Baldur’s Gate series with Larian‘s Baldur’s Gate 3, which also happened to rack up its fair share of Game of the Year wins from several outlets and award ceremonies. Games in the Baldur’s Gate series include:

• Baldur’s Gate (PC, Mac, 1998)
• Baldur’s Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (PC, Mac, 1999)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC, Mac, 2000)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (PC, Mac, 2001)
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (PC, Mac, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, 2001)
• Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II (PC, Mac, PS2, Xbox, 2004)
• Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, 2012)
• Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, 2013)
• Baldur’s Gate 3 (PC, Mac, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, 2023)

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows Of Amn Cheats & Secrets

Baldur’s Gate II Console Command Codes

Note: This procedure involves editing the Baldur’s Gate II game file. Create a backup copy of the file before proceeding.

Edit the “baldur.ini” file in the game folder using a text editor like Notepad. Add the line “Debug Mode=1” under the “[Program Options]” heading. Begin the game and press [Ctrl] + [Space] to display the console window. Type one of the following case-sensitive codes, press [Enter], then press [Ctrl] + [Space] to close the console window and activate the corresponding cheat function:

In-Game Cheat Keys (Key Shortcuts)

Use one of the following codes during a game after entering the “CLUAConsole:EnableCheatKeys()” code to activate the corresponding cheat function:

Location Numbers

Use one of the following values with the “CLUAConsole:MoveToArea(“[location number]“)” code to travel to the corresponding location. Note that players must select all characters in order for them to teleport successfully. Press X during a game to find additional location numbers.

Monster Names

Use one of the following values with the “CLUAConsole:CreateCreature(“[monster name]“)” code to spawn the corresponding creature:

Item Names

Use one of the following values with the “CLUAConsole:CreateItem(“[item name]“)” code to spawn the corresponding item:

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadow of Amn Cheat FAQs

How do you enable cheats in Baldur’s Gate II?

Before players can open up the command console to enter cheats, they will need to go into the game files for Baldur’s Gate II and edit them using a text editor like Notepad. Before doing so, make sure to create a backup file just in case. It’s a fairly straightforward process, but one typo could ruin the game files and prevent the game from booting.

• Open the Baldur’s Gate II file directory
• Copy the “baldur.ini” file to create a backup
• Open the original “baldur.ini” file using Notepad
• Find the “[Program Options]” heading
• Press [Enter] to create a new line under the heading and type “Debug Mode=1“
• Open the game as you normally would and press [Ctrl] + [Space] to open the command console and enter cheats

Is Baldur’s Gate II easy?

On the contrary, Baldur’s Gate II is significantly harder than the original Baldur’s Gate. Players who have experience with the first game in the series or general knowledge regarding 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules will be better suited to handle its challenges, while those unfamiliar with RPG mechanics and the general flow of the Baldur’s Gate games will find the initial hours to be quite tough. Additionally, many enemies in Baldur’s Gate II have different kinds of barriers that players must dispel with magic or other abilities before they can deal physical damage to foes.

Who are the new characters in Baldur’s Gate II?

Many of the characters from the original Baldur’s Gate return in the sequel. However, the Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition includes the exclusive characters from the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition as well as two new characters unique to the Enhanced Edition of Baldur’s Gate II. These characters are Hexxat the Thief and Wilson the Bear. To unlock these characters, players will need to complete their character-specific quests.

How long to beat Baldur’s Gate II?

Like the original game, Baldur’s Gate II is a lengthy and feature-rich RPG experience. Players who just stick to the main quest can expect to spend roughly 45 hours finishing the game. Venturing out and completing the main quest plus several of the optional side quests can extend the total playtime to around 80-90 hours. Those hoping to fully complete the game and unlock all achievements (in the Enhanced Edition) will spend about 150 hours on average.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Baldur's Gate 2 key art.