| “ | Heya! It's me, Imoen. | ” |
Imoen is a neutral good human thief and a potential companion in 
Baldur's Gate (1998)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate campaign.
Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (1999)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast campaign.
Baldur's Gate:
Enhanced Edition (2012)
This icon indicates content from the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition campaign.
Baldur's Gate II
Classic & Enhanced
This icon indicates content from all games of the 2nd Baldur's Gate instalment – all editions and expansions. This may include The Black Pits II.
She's one of the canon party members who adventured with the Gorion's Ward during the event of Baldur's Gate, alongside Jaheira, Khalid, Dynaheir, and Minsc.
Background
Imoen is the childhood friend of Gorion's Ward. They both grew up together in the library fortress of Candlekeep from the time when she was brought there, when they were both about the age of 10.
Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast
Prologue
In the prologue, she will greet you when you approach the front of the Candlekeep Library proper. She surprises you by knowing more about your impending journey with Gorion than you do.
Recruitment
Imoen is available from to recruit from chapter 1. She's the first companion who offers to join you and will join despite any answer given in dialogue.
Gameplay
Her valuable thieving skills can be very beneficial for a starting party, such as detect and disarm traps, open locks, pick-pocket, etc. She also has a very high charisma, making her an effective leader in regards to yielding better prices in shops and good reactions during particular conversations. She doesn't have major conflicts with any other party members, but despite what she says about sticking by you no matter what, she will leave if your reputation drops low enough in BG1.
Imoen has one of the highest overall stats of all companions in the entire saga, being a human thief with a Dexterity score of 18 and an intelligence score of 17. You may dual class her anytime after level 2 to a mage, and the 161,000 experience cap present in Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (1999)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast campaign. and Baldur's Gate:
Enhanced Edition (2012)
This icon indicates content from the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition campaign.
creates a manageable cut-off point for regaining her thief skills. A dual-class by definition must have its new class exceed the level of its old class by one level in order to regain the benefits of the old class. Imoen may become a level 7 Thief at 40,000 XP, which will still allow her to reach a level 8 Mage at 90,000 XP (130,000 XP total). This allows a significant investment in 2-3 Thief skills, primarily lock-picking and find traps, as well as a third proficiency point, well placed in Long Swords. Therefore, it is suggested to dual class immediately after Imoen reaches level 7 Thief in order not to waste any earned experience, plus it will match up canonically with next installment. At level 1, she has 8 hp and Weapon proficiency in Small Sword and Bow (Baldur's Gate (1998)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate campaign.Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (1999)
This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast campaign.) or Short Sword and Shortbow (Enhanced Edition). Her starting equipment are:
Short Sword, Short Bow, 40 Arrow, 3 Potions of Healing, Oil of Speed, Wand of Magic Missiles.
Her level 1 Thieving Abilities are:
- Original: Open Locks 25%, Stealth 30%, Find Traps 30%, Pick Pockets 25%
- Enhanced Edition: Open Locks 25, Find Traps 35, Pick Pockets 25, Move Silently 35, Hide In Shadows 15
Biography
| “ | When asked about her past, IMOEN slaps your shoulder playfully. She says that you of all people should know, seeing as how you grew up together. Indeed, some of your fondest memories are of meeting this sprightly young lass. She apparently came to Candlekeep much as you did, though ten years later in life, and she spent much more time with the gruff Winthrop than Gorion. "Puffguts," she would call him, much to the old innkeep's dismay. She seems the eternal child, and is quite content to play the part of little sister, though you are both of comparable ages. You can tell by her hearty smile that she will always be willing to travel with you, no matter what path you take. |
” |
Quotes
| Heya! It's me, Imoen. | Initial meeting | |
|---|---|---|
| Gettin' out alive, I am. | Morale failure | |
| Good on you if you save the day. | Happy | |
| Mutton-mongerin' riffraff. | Unhappy-annoyed | |
| I've done had enough of this. | Unhappy-serious | |
| 'Tis something most unnatural here, and I want no part of it. | Unhappy-break | |
| Ye're all buffle-headed. | Leader | |
| *yawn* I'm gettin' a little sleepy. | Tired | |
| Booooorrrring. | Bored | |
| My blade will cut you down to size! | Battlecry1 | |
| Damage | ||
| I feel so cold. | Hurt | |
| Dying | ||
| 'Tis something most unnatural here, and I want no part of it. | Dungeon | |
| I care not. | Select1 | |
| Yep? | Select2 | |
| Whatcha want? | Select3 | |
| Ha, ye're a queer fellow. | Select4 | |
| This way. | Action1 | |
| I've done had enough of this. | Action2 | |
| I am gone. | Action3 | |
| Do ya wanna tell me a story 'bout trollops an' plug tails? Please? | Action4 | |
| I know nothin' more, so leave me to go. | Action5 | |
| Good on you if you save the day. | Action6 | |
| Back home, Puffguts would always tell me a story. | Action7 | |
| Poor sod, takin' the dirt nap so soon. | To death-general |
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
By the time Siege of Dragonspear takes place, Imoen has started an apprenticeship as a mage under the guidance of Liia Jannath at the Ducal Palace of Baldur's Gate. Unlike in the other games, Imoen can not join the party as a regular member, because she is at first too busy with her training and is poisoned by assassins during the prologue, which prompts her to stay at the palace while the protagonist travels north to fight against Caelar Argent's crusade.
She does show up again during the finale, where she awaits the protagonist outside of the city walls of Baldur's Gate alongside Dynaheir, Jaheira, Khalid and Minsc. The six of them then leave the town behind them, starting the events of Baldur's Gate II.
Dialogues
| Well, here we are in a creepy ol' tomb again. The last of Sarevok's followers are down here, according to the Flaming Fist. All you gotta do is find their leader and bring her to justice. | |
| I really want to! I wouldn't be much help, though. Ever since I asked Duke Jannath to teach me how to sling spells, she's had me cooped up in the stuffy ol' library, studying boring books about the Weave. She only let me come down here after I promised to bring her any arcane scrolls or tomes I could find. | |
| It's strange having these new arcane powers. Back in Candlekeep, I never dreamed I might be a spellslinger like Gorion some day. Life sure has taken us to unexpected places. You more than me, I guess. | |
| It seemed practical. After all the weird places we've been, I thought it would help if I knew a couple spells and could figure out what the magical gadgets we find are for. | |
| Then... well, I had a knack for it. Magic. I like studying my spells and remembering how Gorion would do the same back in our Candlekeep days. Feels like I still have a connection with him, you know? | |
| Hey now! Dusty ol' tombs sure make you grumpy. Let's keep moving. | |
| You have a point. We can talk more about this later. For now, we should keep moving. | |
| We'll follow behind you. I've got your back. | |
| You sure are a ray of sunshine, aren't you? | |
| Can't you take anything seriously? | |
| I don't know why I talk to you sometimes. I really don't. | |
| You're the closest thing I have to family, <CHARNAME>. I love you. You know that. But after Sarevok... I need things to be... quiet, just for a little while. | |
| Stay here with me. Leave Caelar to the Flaming Fist. Dealing with people like her is their job—let them do it. But you won't, will you? I know that look in your eyes. I'm wasting my breath. | |
| Promise me you'll be careful. All right? I don't know what I'd do if... We've just lost too many people, you know? |
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal
Prologue
At the start of Shadows of Amn, Imoen, who is already a dual-classed Thief (level 7) > Mage, has freed herself from capture, and very soon comes to the player character's rescue. When the player awakes, she tells Gorion's Ward that they have been captured and tortured, but she doesn't know why. She relates something she overheard her captor saying: he wants to release the player character's 'potential', though it is not known what that means.
The player must escape the dungeon and may take Imoen with the party or not. Whatever the decision, once outside, Imoen is back with the player in a cut-scene in which Imoen attacks Jon Irenicus, their captor, with magic. But what is not known to the party is that casting spells without licence is forbidden in the city of Athkatla. Because of this, Cowled Wizards appear and spirit Imoen and Irenicus away to an unknown location.
Recruitment
Imoen is available to recruit in Chapter 4 while the first part of game consists of the player gathering information and funds, and performing quests for the purpose of finding out where Imoen has been taken, and to gather the necessary resources to rescue her, which is eventually realized in Spellhold.
Gameplay
Imoen is a dual class thief (level 7) > mage with enough skill in Open Locks and Find/Disarm Traps to fulfill the fundamental needs of any party competently and is capable of reaching maximum level in her Mage class. She'll attain Bhaalspawn powers following the defeat of Irenicus by the end of Shadows of Amn, The changes improve her stats as well as add a number of innate abilities. All occur at a random time:
- +1 Strength permanently
- +1 Dexterity permanently
- Cure Medium Wounds
- Draw Upon Holy Might
In 
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. her Thieving Abilities at the start of the game in Irenicus' Dungeon are: Open Locks 100, Find Traps 95, Pick Pockets 35, Move Silently 30, Hide in Shadows 25, Detect Illusion 0, Set Traps 5. She lost 5 points in Move Silently compared to the first game.
The Imoen you meet at Chapter 4 has her own default spell selection, thus it's not recommended to teach the prologue Imoen any spells.
Biography
| “ | IMOEN chuckles when you ask her about her past, assuming you are just trying to keep her mind on happier times and places. She indulges you, and certainly does cheer up when speaking of how you spent your youths together in Candlekeep. She arrived there the same as you, in the company of your foster father Gorion, but despite this similarity, she grew up much more carefree than you did. Indeed, her lighthearted outlook has long kept her immune to the hardships of the world, though the dark confines and horrors of your current location have definitely taken their toll. | ” |
Quotes
| No, no! No, I'm not gonna end up dead in this place! I have to get out! I have to get to the surface! | Morale failure1 | |
|---|---|---|
| I got enough trouble without fightin' these odds! |
Morale failure2 | |
| Now I remember why traveling with you was always so much fun. | Happy | |
| I'll stick with you no matter what, but we should still try and be decent to people. | Unhappy-annoyed | |
| I think all this has really changed you. Come on, this isn't like us at all. | Unhappy-serious | |
| Aww, come on. I'm not cut out for the leadership stuff. | Leader | |
| *yawn* I'm getting sleepy. Wish we could stop for a bit. | Tired | |
| If we're going to do nothing, let's at least find a safer place to do it. | Bored1 | |
| I'm withering away just standing here. Let's get going. | Bored2 | |
| My blade will cut you down to size! | Battlecry1 | |
| If I have to fight to get out of here, so be it! |
Battlecry2 | |
| You're not gonna keep me here! |
Battlecry3 | |
| You asked for it! |
Battlecry4 | |
| Oh, I'll show you a fight! | Battlecry5 | |
| Damage | ||
| Come on, now, don't let me suffer in this place. We've both had enough of that. | Hurt1 | |
| I'm weak enough without my wounds. Someone give me a hand over here, please? | Hurt2 | |
| No... no... NO! I'm not dying here! I'm not! Oh, my head hurts! I have to get to the surface. I have to go! | Dying1 | |
| Dying2 | ||
| I wish I could spend more time in the forest. Oh, it feels so alive. | Forest | |
| I don't feel like I fit in with the people in the city anymore. | City | |
| This place is just too darn creepy. I really want out of here. | Dungeon | |
| Glad to see another day. I think the light hurts my eyes though. | Day | |
| Might as well be up and about. I don't think I'd sleep anyway. | Night | |
| Yep? | Select1 | |
| Whatchu want? | Select2 | |
| Name it. | Select3 | |
| Ready and willing. | Select4 | |
| Somethin' up? | Select5 | |
| Time to move? | Select6 | |
| Gotcha. | Action1 | |
| Good to go. | Action2 | |
| Right you are. | Action3 | |
| All right, all right. | Action4 | |
| No problem at all. | Action5 | |
| You can count on me! | Action6 | |
| This way then? | Action7 | |
| Right as rain. | Select rare1 | |
| Just like old times. Well, except for the torture and all. |
Select rare2 | |
| Gotcha good! | Critical hit | |
| Next time... | Critical miss | |
| Gotta try something else. | Target immune | |
| Sorry, but I couldn't hold that last item. It's on the ground. | Inventory full | |
| Easy as pie. | Picked pocket | |
| Now you see me, now you don't. | Hidden in shadows | |
| Ugh! The magic fizzled. | Spell disrupted | |
| Shh! It's set and ready to go. | Set a trap |
Dialogues
| Wake up, you! Wake up! Come on, we have to get outta here! | |
| This poor creature wishes to die? Right here? We should... | |
| He's... he's dead now? This pathetic creature... Death is... pretty. Why would I think that? Oh, <CHARNAME>, I've got to get out of this place. | |
| It's good to see you again, little brother. Ha ha! I rather enjoy calling you that. So... you ready to go? I'd prefer to travel with you, if I could. | |
| It's good to see you again, little sister. Ha ha! I rather enjoy calling you that. So, you ready to go? I'd prefer to travel with you, if I could. | |
| Minsc, I want a hamster. | |
| You know, Jan... I was listening to a story you were telling a little earlier. I thought it was quite fascinating. | |
| No more worthy than you, "brother." And I've learned things since we last met that you couldn't begin to dream of. | |
| So... Sarevok. You've had an itty-bitty piece of my soul in there for quite a while now. What's it been like? | |
| What... what was it like to die, Sarevok? Seeing as you've been through the experience repeatedly, I can't help but wonder if you've developed some... perspective on it? | |
| So... it's finally come down to this, has it? After all we've been through, right from Candlekeep and Baldur's Gate, through Irenicus and Bodhi and their plans... I wonder what Gorion would say now? |
Personality
Imoen is a care-free, optimistic, cheerful and easy-going character. She seems happy to have escaped the boredom of Candlekeep and eager to discover the world beyond the city walls. Imoen will try to joke around with Gorion's Ward and almost any other companions in the group and lighten their spirits in the hardest moments to come. She never picks up fights with any others, no matter how different they are.
Imoen is also unyieldingly faithful, extremely attached to Gorion's Ward, to the extent that she thinks it's her responsibility to safeguard the Ward and sees herself as the Ward's guarding angel.
In Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Imoen appears a bit worried and more mature, as she struggles with her newly-discovered Bhaalspawn heritage and the nightmares related to it. Nonetheless, she retains a great portion of her care-free attitude.
Trivia
- Imoen did not exist in the original concept Baldur's Gate. Her character was a late addition to fill a non-psychotic-thief gap in the early levels. There was no recording budget left, so her lines were scraped together from voice-over left from a scrapped demo. The original character was a guard named Pique.[1]
- On the flipside, she was originally supposed to be available as a companion for the entirety of Baldur's Gate 2. After the part about her abduction by Irenicus was added, Nalia was created to fill the gap. That is also the reason as to why Imoen and Nalia are so considerably similar to each other. (confirmation needed)
- The model for Imoen's Baldur's Gate 1 portrait was the wife of the team's lead terrain artist, Dean Andersen. (confirmation needed)
- In Imoen's
Baldur's Gate:
Siege of Dragonspear (2016)
This icon indicates content from the Siege of Dragonspear campaign of the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. dialog file:
Imoen: Was that another doppelganger?
Chaname: The vile creature used your form to get me to lower my guard. A good trick, though not good enough.
There’s also BDIMOEDO.DLG in addition to BDIMOEN.DLG which is the real Imoen’s, in BDIMOEDO.DLG, there’re unvoiced lines which a Greater Doppelganger in disguise of Imoen trying to trick charname, likely a cut content.
Gallery
External links
- Imoen on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.
References