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Saving often may seem like an obvious precaution to save time if you die, however, there is more to it than that. Saving your game just before attempting to memorize a spell will let you reload until you successfully get it memorized; saving before resting lets you keep trying until you get a peaceful night's rest, without dealing with pesky monsters waking you up. Of course, this can take away from the realism of the game, but the option is there if you need it. There's also an option (in the game options menu) to automagically give your characters the maximum hit point gain upon leveling up rather than rolling a die to see how much they get. Maximize Your Inventory You must quest through some dark, dank, long stretches of dungeon in Icewind Dale, and in your travels, you'll acquire tons of little goodies, many of them quite valuable. It'll be a bit annoying to have to travel back to town whenever your inventory gets full, so be sure to use all your slots effectively. Put scrolls, potions, and the like in your quick item slots and put any missiles (arrows, bolts, bullets, and so on) in your missile slots, even if the character can't use them. They're there, so use them for extra storage. Use the AI Scripts Unless you enjoy watching all your party members like a hawk for the duration of every battle, go to their character info screens, click customize, and choose an appropriate AI script. This way, when you turn on the AI, they'll have a chance of acting as you want them to. Of course, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on them while engaged in battle, as the AI isn't nearly as intelligent as you are. On a related note... Know When to Turn the AI Off ...There are times when the AI should just be turned off (it's little icon just above the Rest button and to the left of the Select Party button). For example, if your mages are about to cast fireball and cloudkill on your enemies, you don't want Joe and Jane Fighter running in to attack the baddies, or they'll get hit with your death magic as well. In general, turn the AI on if you think the battle is going well; turn it off if you need to monitor the action more closely. Loot! Pillage! Steal! Whenever you have the opportunity to get something for nothing, do so. You can loot the corpses of deceased enemies, pillage from containers in the majority of locations, and even steal from your friendly shopkeeper, with a little skill and luck. You'll get some of the most powerful items in the game this way, so don't pass it up.
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