I'm playing on mac and everything looks good. I've played this game in the past a lot so I know what I am doing already to start out.

But I noticed something so I want to ask here if there is a patch I should definitely use like even a fan patch? So that's a stand alone question but what I noticed was that the deep gnome character starts with 5000 xp and that is a known issue that has always been with this game. I can probably fix it with console xp give to him. He should have 9000 xp and be 1000 xp away from level 2 like ECL 1 and ECL 2 races.

But I ask if there is a fan patch for good reason as there are also some other known problems that can be fixed but they might already be fixed in GOG release?? I don't know. An example is slowing and crashing in the goblin dungeon under Guthmas lair. There was a known issue with this that I personally experienced in back in the day but it was fixable with a patch or else some other way that I found back in the day on sorcerer's palace website.

So is there something that I need to install before I go much further? Just started Targos. Have a cool party composition idea.

edit: hmmm I don't know how to enable the cheat console on mac so maybe just have to start down 4000 xp?

Among IE games, IWD2 was the least buggy even before the official patch, so technically you don't need any mods unless you really like to play deep gnomes.

There are two fix packs that I'm aware of:

Weimer's Ease-of-Use Mod for IWD2, which despite the name also includes bug fixes.

Almateria's IWD2 Fixpack, which includes some of the same fixes but also has other content.

I don't have personal experience with either mod, so if you have a positive (or negative) experience with one or both, consider posting about it here.

Weimer's mod has a component to fix the svirfneblin starting experience issue.

Thank you and I'll let you know if I try those. I probably won't because I am not great with computers and not sure if those mods will be easy to install on a mac.

No need to patch or mod anything, the game works fine as is. A full 3 level ECL penalty like would mean starting with 0 XP, so enjoy the free 5000 XP your deep gnome starts with.

If you absolutely want 4000 extra XP you can export this character, start or load a game, import only this character, have him/her earn some XP and export again.