Books, notes, etc

Would have posted this in "hints and tips" except that I found that some other such lists were moved here b/c they contained spoilers.

Notes and books take a decent amount of inventory space, and books' weight quickly adds up, so it's easy for obsessive-compulsive packrat types to end up with a follower burdened down carrying around a sizeable library. Along with all the other guides to items and equipment I think it would be helpful to have a guide as to when you can safely discard books, notes, etc, when you need to have them on hand, and when you should just stash them away.

So here's the beginning of a list of the books, notes, etc. If people could help complete the list and add the info about when these things are used and when they can be discarded that'd be great.

Notes

the Molochean Hand note "IFS Zeyphr has crashed"
the combination to the Shrouded Hills Bank safe
Virgil's note in Shrouded Hills Inn
Benjamin Bates ring payment telegram
Joachim's telegram
Black Mountain Mines thieves' notes
Tyron's note

Books
Roan's Almanac of All Things Dwarven
The Pagan Gods of Arcanum
"The Hand" by Frederic von Hapsgood
Tannon Wroughtbringer's Journal
The Last Testament of Kraka-Tur
Panarii Pamphlet
Joachim's Molochean Hand book in Stillwater

Etc
Various Tarant newspapers
Passports for "Preston Radcliffe" and Rorry Limes

 

You're missing the books from the libraries (Tarant and Tulla), the Garringburg notes, the two "Curse of Tseng Ang" books (one real, one fake), the Roseborough Inn's book and unforunately I don't really remember the correct names, but this should help you get underway.

 

Don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong:

NOTES
- the Molochean Hand note "IFS Zeyphr has crashed" - not useful at all
- the combination to the Shrouded Hills Bank safe - no other use than opening the safe
- Virgil's note in Shrouded Hills Inn - not useful but I usually let Virgil have it, it's for him
- Benjamin Bates ring payment telegram - contains information about Schuyler & Sons so it's useful if you can't/don't want to get it from Ristezee
- Joachim's telegram - not useful, same as the Shrouded Hills note
- Black Mountain Mines thieves' notes - not useful at all
- Tyron's note - probably of no use, you can only report to DeCesare that Tyron is no longer in Black Root but you don't get any clues of his location by doing so

BOOKS
- Roan's Almanac of All Things Dwarven - well, it's probably not worth anything but it has personal value for Magnus - if you take it from him it initiates a dialogue, it also explains why he has some weird ideas about dwarven culture and customs
- The Pagan Gods of Arcanum - quite useful if you're ambitious enough to work out the god's quest on your own, I always keep it
- "The Hand" by Frederic von Hapsgood - iirc it comes in handy when talking to the head of the Molochean Hand when leaving Quintarra (can't remember this guy's name atm)
- Tannon Wroughtbringer's Journal - don't know, what's it about?
- The Last Testament of Kraka-Tur - helpful but not necessary to convince Kraka-Tur to join you in the Void
- Panarii Pamphlet - come on...
- Joachim's Molochean Hand book in Stillwater - definitely useful in conversation with the Hand's head when leaving Quintarra, along with
* Kerghan's Journal (yes, new item on the list!)

ETC
- Various Tarant newspapers - apart from documenting some of player's achievements and informing him about more or less important events? Well, I remember reading somewhere that the newspaper you find in Dernholm (was it about Tarant's City Council considering war with Dernholm?) comes in handy when collecting taxes for Preator but I've never found any opportunity to use it even though I usually play charistmatic and intelligent characters
- Passports for "Preston Radcliffe" and Rorry Limes - Preston Radcliffe's passport might be useful in Caladon where you can find the guy who forged it. Getting the passport for Rorry Limes is one of at least three ways of finding the stolen painting. I don't think you have to keep it - examining it once is probably enough to check his adress in Tarant's database.
I think many of the items you listed are only usable in one certain quest and keeping them isn't necessary. I.e. so is the case with
* Liam's journal - it tells you how to close the portal near Liam's workshop and than you can give it to his mother to make her feel better by knowing that her son's death wasn't entirely pointless.

 

This thread is made wrong. There are quite few entries to this list not mentioned here, but it doesn't matter. Hardly any book, note or newspaper needs to be kept after it has been read.

Instead of doing a mile long list with most entries being "not needed once read", it would be better to make a short list of those ones that actually should be kept for a while. And so:

NOTES:

• You can give Wilhelmina's note from the Crash Site to Jared in Tarant, though you can be very well throw away the note once you read it and still complete the quest without any problems or penalties.
  
• The note you receive from the dark elf in the Wellington's club in Tarant can be read and/or delivered to its addressee. The info from the note can be used without having it in your inventory, as long as it was read.
  
• "Note for Mrs. Regina Halster" can be, surprisingly enough, delivered to Mrs. Regina Halster.

BOOKS:

• Liam Cameron's journal can be given to Mrs. Cameron in Black Root.
  
• "Divinations and Magicks for the Adept Wizard" can be given to Adam Maxwell in Caladon.
  
• "The Hand" can be given to Ogdin Big Fist on the Isle of Despair.
  
• Kraka-Tur's diary can be used to convince him to join you, though he can be very well persuaded with his eye or a promise to bring him back to Arcanum.

NEWSPAPERS:

• The newspaper lying on the street in Dernholm can be shown to the Mayor of Black Root while talking with him about taxes and such.

All other books, notes and newspapers fall in the "can be thrown into a trash bin once read" category, if I'm not mistaken.

 

Also the journal/diary on Half-Ogre Island can be sold to the papers.

 

You can also sell your story to the press. They will make a book of it.

 

As long as you count an article in a newspaper as a book, anyway.

Forgot about that journal from the Half Ogre Island. Good call, Jojobobo.

 

Oh. Yes. You are right. It was an article in a newspaper indeed.