Reputation¶
The party has a single shared reputation score on a 1–20 scale. It governs how NPCs interact with you, how shopkeepers price their goods, and whether your good-aligned companions stick around.
You begin with a reputation based on the alignment of the lead character (see Alignment).
Evil-doing parties beware
Parties with low reputation become the targets of bounty hunters and the Flaming Fist guards.
Reputation changes¶
Reputation rises or falls based on your actions — killing innocents, injuring civilians, stealing, killing Flaming Fist soldiers, and donating to temples all move it. Donations to the church improve reputation; the amount of gold required to gain a point scales with your current reputation.
Encounter adjustments¶
When the party meets an NPC, the game makes a reaction roll (2d10) and adjusts the result by the leader's Charisma plus your reputation. The encounter adjustment affects how NPCs perceive you, how willing they are to share information, and what prices shopkeepers offer.
| Reputation | Effect |
|---|---|
| 20 (hero) | +4 reaction adjustment |
| 18–19 | +3 reaction adjustment |
| 16–17 | +2 reaction adjustment |
| 14–15 | +1 reaction adjustment |
| 8–13 | No adjustment |
| 7 | –1 reaction adjustment |
| 6 | –2 reaction adjustment |
| 5 | –3 adjustment; 10% chance the Flaming Fist spawn and attack in each new area |
| 4 | –4 adjustment; 20% chance the Flaming Fist spawn and attack |
| 3 | –5 adjustment; 30% chance the Flaming Fist spawn and attack |
| 2 | –6 adjustment; 50% chance the Flaming Fist spawn and attack |
| 1 (villain) | –7 adjustment; the Flaming Fist spawn and attack in every new area |
Charm spells alter perception
Charm spells improve the encounter adjustment but so alter the recipient's perception that they may forget dealings with you — and will be hostile toward you when the spell wears off. Targeting indiscriminately can close off quests.
Effects on party members¶
Each joinable companion has five emotional states tied to your reputation and their own alignment: Happy, Neutral, Unhappy, Angry, and Breaking point. These states drive their dialogue cues — a happy character doesn't complain, but in any other state you'll start to hear about it.
| Reputation | Good companions | Neutral companions | Evil companions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Happy | Happy | Break |
| 19 | Happy | Happy | Break |
| 18 | Happy | Happy | Angry |
| 17 | Happy | Happy | Angry |
| 16 | Happy | Happy | Angry |
| 15 | Happy | Neutral | Unhappy |
| 14 | Happy | Neutral | Unhappy |
| 13 | Happy | Neutral | Unhappy |
| 12 | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| 11 | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| 10 | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| 9 | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| 8 | Unhappy | Neutral | Neutral |
| 7 | Unhappy | Neutral | Neutral |
| 6 | Unhappy | Neutral | Happy |
| 5 | Angry | Unhappy | Happy |
| 4 | Angry | Unhappy | Happy |
| 3 | Angry | Angry | Happy |
| 2 | Break | Angry | Happy |
| 1 | Break | Break | Happy |
A character at Break will eventually leave the party.
Source: bgee/original_manuals/baldurs_gate_1_ee_mastering_melee_and_magic.pdf — "Effects of Reputation and Alignment".