Magic Item Identification

Unidentified magical items are a common sight in the world of Amn, often appearing as "Unidentified" in your inventory. To unlock their true potential and understand their properties, you'll need to identify them. This process is crucial for equipping your party effectively and making informed decisions about what to keep, sell, or store.

Methods of Identification

There are several reliable ways to identify magic items in Baldur's Gate II:

The Identify Spell:
- Casters: Mages and Bards are your primary spellcasters for Identify. Aerie, Edwin, Imoen, and Jan Jansen are all excellent choices for this.
- Spell Level: Identify is a 1st-level Mage spell, making it accessible early in the game.
- Acquisition: You can learn the Identify spell from a scroll, which can be purchased from various merchants or found as loot. For instance, you can often find Identify scrolls at the Adventurer's Mart in Waukeen's Promenade, sold by Ribald Barterman.
- Strategy: Keep a few Identify scrolls handy, especially in the early game, to identify crucial items on the fly. As your spellcasters gain levels, they can memorize multiple castings, reducing the need for scrolls.
Potions of Identification:
- Availability: These potions are less common than scrolls but serve the same purpose. They can be found as loot in dungeons or occasionally purchased from general merchants.
- Usage: Simply use the potion on the unidentified item in your inventory.
- Strategy: Save these for situations where your spellcasters are out of Identify spells or if you need to identify an item with a character who cannot cast the spell.
Sage Identification Services:
- Cost: This is a reliable but often more expensive option, especially for multiple items. Merchants and sages will identify items for a fee, which varies depending on the item's perceived rarity and the merchant's disposition.
- Locations:
  - Waukeen's Promenade: Ribald Barterman at the Adventurer's Mart offers identification services. This is often your first and most convenient stop.
  - Temple District: Various temple clerics may also offer identification, though their primary services are healing and resurrection.
  - Government District: Some specialized merchants in the Government District might also provide this service.
- Strategy: If you have a large number of unidentified items and your party is low on Identify spells or scrolls, a trip to a merchant is a good option. Consider selling items you don't need after identification to recoup some of the cost.

Optimizing Identification

Prioritize Key Items: Focus on identifying weapons, armor, and accessories that your main party members can use immediately. A powerful weapon like the Flametongue (found early in the game, for example, in the Copper Coronet) or a protective amulet can significantly impact your early encounters.
Inventory Management: Don't let your inventory get cluttered with unidentified items. Identify them regularly to free up space and ensure you're not overlooking valuable gear.
Bard's Song: If you have a Bard in your party (like Haer'Dalis or Jan Jansen), their high Lore skill can sometimes automatically identify common magical items simply by picking them up or having them in your inventory for a short period. This is a passive benefit and doesn't require active input.
Lore Skill: Characters with high Intelligence and Wisdom, particularly Mages, Bards, and Clerics, naturally have higher Lore scores, increasing the chance of passive identification. While not a primary method, it can be a pleasant surprise.

By effectively utilizing these methods, you'll quickly uncover the secrets of Amn's magical treasures and empower your party for the challenges ahead.